


Imagine

by PelionHigh



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: After season 6, Centaurs, Does this count as AU?, F/M, Fix-It-Fic, I have a thing for mythology and it shows, I'm still totally new to writing fanfics so I'm not sure what tags to add xD, Justice for Lotor, Labor camp, Pidge - Freeform, Post Season 6, Smut, Torture, Weekly update, but don't worry!, but just a bit, hunk - Freeform, keith - Freeform, lance - Freeform, the first piece of smut I ever wrote what an experience xD, will definitely update the tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-05-28 22:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 50,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15059279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PelionHigh/pseuds/PelionHigh
Summary: Pain and madness. Swimming in an ocean of despair. That’s what Lotor remembered before opening his eyes. His entire body still felt sore, his muscles and sinews screaming silently underneath his skin. He couldn’t hold back a low moan, squeezing his eyes.The next time Lotor opened his eyes he didn’t feel any pain and his vision wasn’t blurry. Physically he felt great, but he remembered everything that had happened and he squeezed his eyes shut in remorse. Going through the events of the past few weeks he finally took a deep breath and sat up, wondering how he had ended up in this place. Sunlight was spilling through windows. The room was Spartan, but made him feel comfortable with an intricate mosaic pattern on the floor, whitewashed walls, a wooden ceiling and sturdy furniture. A bed, dresser, table and chair was all there was. The designs reminded him of pieces he had come across once before and he had admired the craftsmanship behind them. He also knew of the great power of the Aiaian people and how they had defied the Galra empire, although being exiled at that time he didn’t know the details of what happened. But how could he have landed in a system so far away from where he had been?





	1. Aquila

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Imagine](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/391943) by ladyspider31. 



> Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron: Legandary Defender in any way or form. All rights go to the rightful owners.
> 
> I just like to explore certain characters in my own way and see what happens.
> 
> In case of this fic I saw a head canon on tumblr (as credited), felt suddenly inspired and started to write. All of a sudden I was at 5k+ after the first writing session and it just keeps going. I'm looking forward myself to see how the journey continues and where it will take Lotor.

Pain and madness. Swimming in an ocean of despair. That’s what Lotor remembered before opening his eyes. His entire body still felt sore, his muscles and sinews screaming silently underneath his skin. He couldn’t hold back a low moan, squeezing his eyes.  
  
“Pat, be a good boy and fetch the vials from the herbarium. You know, the ones on top of the table. Hurry!” Lotor opened his eyes and through his initial blurry view he made out the face of an elderly woman. Her garments were simple, in earthen colors, but of good quality. Deep wrinkles were carved into her features, accentuating especially her eyes, which showed two deep black pupils that were filled with worry and kindness.  
  
Suddenly a young boy came rushing to Lotor’s bed, holding three vials and giving them to the woman. He looked at Lotor with wonder and admiration, shouting out, “He’s awake!” Lotor shut his eyes, grumbling.  
“Not so loud, silly!”, reprimanded the woman. But there was a smile in her voice. Pat always got too easily excited about the smallest of things. For him the world was still full of wonders and his aunt wouldn’t want him to be any different. Still for the sake of her latest ward she needed to remind him to stay calm. It wouldn’t do to delay the recovery of this strange fellow, who literally fell out of heaven and right into her herb garden. Of course she had questions, but they could wait. For now she mixed the contents of two vials in a wooden cup, diluted it with water and lifted Lotor’s head to help him empty it. Lotor was taken aback by the sudden physical contact, but he was unable to move his limbs, so he had to accept it. After he finished the cup, the woman opened the third vial and held it under his nose. Almost immediately Lotor drifted off to sleep.  
  
“Good”, she uttered to herself.  
Pat seemed impatient and demanded, “What is good, aunt Circe? Will he be better soon? When do you think he’ll get up? What–”.  
“No more!” Circe cut him off firmly, but not unfriendly. “Let’s leave him in peace and quiet. Healing takes time, as you well know. When he is ready, I’m sure he will tell us all we need to know. Until then we have to be patient.” With those words Circe ushered her nephew out of the small room. The sun began to set. “Make sure to lock the stables well. The harpies have been seen again and we wouldn’t want them to feast on our poor livestock, now would we?”  
Pat made a rueful face, “No, auntie, of course not.”  
“Off you go then, you have a big responsibility to fulfill here and I trust that you will do your share in keeping everyone safe!” Puffing out his chest, Pat smiled proudly, turning around on his bare feet and running off to the stables to make sure all the pigs, chickens and goats were locked up properly.  
  
While he did so, he imagined showing the stranger around. In his imagination they quickly had become great friends, he could tell the stranger anything and everything. Pat would go on great adventures together with his new companion, they were invincible! Slaying harpies and hydras, solving the riddles of the sphinx, taming a Pegasus! But most of all he wished that the stranger would show him the world and planets beyond Aiaia. Pat had seen a few space ships already, even different species and it made him crave more of it. He wanted to go and explore it all and see the universe. Learn the secrets of other planets and systems. Become someone his parents would’ve been proud of. Shutting the last lock, he leaned against the stable door and looked up into the swiftly darkening sky.  
  
Pat’s parents had died shortly after he was born. Aiaia had been attacked by a race called Galra, they were after the Quintessence it produced. The high quality of Aiaia’s Quintessence was legendary in their part of the universe and was highly protected on the main planet of the Aiaia system. Pat’s father was one of the generals responsible for the defense of the outer walls, his mother was one of the navigators. Before the attack they had left Pat with his aunt Circe, because she lived on one of the smaller planets on the outskirt of the Aiaia system. They thought it to be the safest place for their son and they were right. Pat survived, like so many others did and they won the battle, but the entire Aiaia system was never the same as before. Gone were the days of glory and splendor. Pat never knew those times, but sometimes he felt like being pulled back in time, his intuition leading him to places his aunt Circe wouldn’t be so happy knowing he visited. Now wasn’t a time to worry about that, though. Now someone new had entered their lives and Pat was itching to finally talk to the stranger for real.  
  
Every single day Pat hoped that he would open his eyes, getting more and more impatient. Circe was known for her great healing powers, so Pat couldn’t understand why it took so long for him to get better. Only once he had woken up and Pat had been so thrilled about it that he couldn’t sleep that night, hoping that with the new dawn their ward would wake up and a new life would begin. Only that didn’t happen. Days became weeks and Pat felt as if the ever same cycles were grinding down his spirits. One day he went far into the forests stretching out behind their abode. Farther and farther he went, well past the limits set by his aunt, farther than he ever dared to go. But he wasn’t afraid, because his friend, the stranger, was with him. They worked their way through the thicket, up steep rocks and along lively streams. Until all of a sudden the air seemed to change and Pat knew that he was utterly on his own, with nothing but a small knife and a bough, which he had picked up along the way, wielding it like a sword. He came to a halt on a clearing. The forest had muted all its sounds and Pat’s skin was covered in goosebumps. A centaur came striding into the clearing and Pat couldn’t move. The majestic creature pinned him to the spot with its glare. “You belong to Circe’s kind.” stated the centaur, stopping a few meters away from Pat, who could only nod his head in response. “We have looked into the stars when one of them fell. It was foretold a long time ago. Long before your kind settled on Aiaia, long before you took what was not yours to take. Circe knows this and now she is trying to make amends, she is trying to restore a fallen star to the firmament, so it might illuminate the darkness that is coming.” Pat was frozen, yet every word from the centaur burnt itself into his memory. The centaur gave him an intense look and seemed to consider his next move. Without pretext the centaur stomped over to Pat, grabbed him and took off with him through the forest. Pat felt the overwhelming strength of the creature and all he could do was to shield his face with his arms against the boughs and thickets it was galloping past. It felt like an eternity and yet it was over within the blink of an eye. The centaur stopped at a threshold Pat had never noticed before, although the white marble pillars stood out brightly against the colors of the forest. Pat was dropped to the ground and he quickly stood up, looking at the centaur, who had his gaze fixed into the direction in which Circe’s home was. It was an unfathomable mask. Pat was surprised his knees didn’t give out when the centaur looked at him again, speaking, “What was broken will be mended, but Charon shall be paid twofold, for he will be tricked one more time. To pay his fare the fountain needs to flow again. Give these words to Circe.” and with that the centaur was swallowed up by the forest. At last Pat’s kneed didn’t hold him any longer and he sank to the ground, heaving as if he’d run to the main planet and back again.  
  
Circe knew immediately that something had happened when she heard the front door opening. She knew it was Pat and she knew that one of the centaurs had come to the gate of her barrier. The gate she had made in hope that alliances could be forged, but it was a hope she had let go of ages ago. She always knew it when Pat breached one of her barriers, she could feel him roaming farther than she officially allowed him to, because she understood his yearning for more, for a life more exciting than their simple existence on the outskirts of the Aiaia system. She let him believe that she was clueless about his little adventures.  
  
His parents had both been brave and strong people and it had been their end. She herself had been too confident in her own abilities and powers and the price to pay had been terrible. It had brought upon them the Galra and thus the end of the golden era of Aiaia. She had seen it coming and tried to stop it, but it was too late. She hadn’t stopped early enough, hadn’t left the main planet soon enough to prevent the Galra from coming. So many lives lost, so many stars fallen. And what for? What good did the Quintessence do she had developed now?  
  
She had grieved, long and deeply and it showed on her face. She looked old, but she felt even older. It was Pat who kept her young in a way, because she needed to keep going for him. Her sister had trusted her to look after him, she didn’t know that Circe was responsible for the attack of the Galra. It was Circe’s darkest secret. No one knew, because the ones who did were dead now. She tried to help Aiaia heal the best she could, but she refused to resort to her old powers in order to do so. No more Quintessence to fool around with, no more! It was an oath she had sworn to herself. Yet it seemed that it was impossible to heal the stranger’s wounds without it. His healing made an incredibly slow progress and it was eating at her, because she wanted answers. She could tell that he was part Galra and she feared that they might come back. Standing in front of Lotor’s bed she pondered what she should do next, when she heard Pat’s footsteps in the hall.  
  
She turned around to greet him and found him sitting at the kitchen table, his face white as chalk. When he saw her, he ran to her, embracing her with all his might, as if he’d never let go again. Calmly she wrapped him in her embrace, hugging him tightly back. After a few moments passed, Pat seemed to relax and she put him on a chair, pouring fresh milk and getting some of the sweet fig and walnut bread she had baked this morning. Pat wolfed down every single bite as if he hadn’t eaten in days, then he drowned the milk and breathed deeply. Circe took it as a sign to speak up. “Will you tell me what happened?” she asked quietly. Pat told her everything and repeated the words of the centaur truthfully.  
“What was broken will be mended, but Charon shall be paid twofold, for he will be tricked one more time. To pay his fare the fountain needs to flow again.”  
  
A sad smile settled on Circe’s face. She knew what fountain the centaur had spoken of. Very well. She had been trying hard not to open it again, but it seemed that it was futile. She had an inkling about the first part of the prophecy, but wasn’t sure about it. Time would tell. Now she had to act. It was beginning to turn dark outside. Perfect. She tucked Pat into bed, looked after the half Galra once more before entering her own chambers. She changed into robes she had wanted to forget about, but never had the heart to let go of. Now she knew why. She wasn’t as agile as in her young years anymore and the sudden cut-off from Quintessence had accelerated her aging, but the uniform still fit her. She went out into the night, with three light blue moons shining brightly above her.

* * *

  
The next time Lotor opened his eyes he didn’t feel any pain and his vision wasn’t blurry. Physically he felt great, but he remembered everything that had happened and he squeezed his eyes shut in remorse. Going through the events of the past few weeks he finally took a deep breath and sat up, wondering how he had ended up in this place. Sunlight was spilling through windows. The room was spartan, but made him feel comfortable with an intricate mosaic pattern on the floor, whitewashed walls, a wooden ceiling and sturdy furniture. A bed, dresser, table and chair was all there was. The designs reminded him of pieces he had come across once before and he had admired the craftsmanship behind them. He also knew of the great power of the Aiaian people and how they had defied the Galra empire, although being exiled at that time he didn’t know the details of what happened. But how could he have landed in a system so far away from where he had been?  
  
The door opened and Circe entered. Lotor became stiff at first, but Circe was unfazed to see him up in bed. Smiling warmly she remarked, “I was wondering when you would finally wake up. You have been gone for a long time. How do you feel?” Lotor was instantly in survival mode. He hadn’t lived so long by trusting strangers immediately, he knew how to play along.  
Gracefully he replied, “Thank you for looking after me, I am in your debt! I feel good and hope I wasn’t causing you any trouble.”  
“Not at all, I was very happy to be of service.” Circe sensed the currents of his Quintessence, knew that he was being cautious. She had come with a tray of food and put it on the table. Turning around to Lotor she invited him, “Why don’t you refresh yourself and once you’re ready, you may come and join me and my nephew in the kitchen, just down the hall.”  
“That sounds lovely.”  
“Wonderful! But I must warn you, my nephew has been impatiently awaiting your recovery and he will be quite excited to see you.”  
Lotor gave a smile, “I am already looking forward to meeting him.”  
Circe laughed, “Don’t be too hasty about that, he can be a handful! Please make sure to take your time.” and with that she left Lotor.  
  
When he got out of bed, Lotor stretched his limbs, already feeling invigorated. The food on the tray looked delicious, although unknown to him. He decided to eat without caution. If the old woman had wanted to kill him, she needn’t wait until he woke up for that. While he ate, Lotor suddenly realized that he wasn’t wearing his armor anymore. Instead his body was clad in soft fabrics that flattered his figure and skin tone. It was unfamiliar, but not unwelcome. In fact it made him feel like he left a rather unpleasant piece of himself behind. Still, he would’ve liked to arm himself before leaving the room, yet there was nothing that could serve as a weapon.  
  
He found the kitchen, following the voices he heard. The one from the old woman he recognized and then there was the happy bubble of a young boy. When Lotor entered the kitchen he saw the latter wielding a short stick like a sword, while the old woman stood at the table arranging herbs. Listening to her nephew’s eager chatter, “…I’m sure he’s a great fighter! Did you see his muscles, aunt Circe? And–”, seeing Lotor in the door cut off the boy’s voice at once, which caused Circe to look up.  
She gave Lotor another smile, “Welcome! Please join us. I hope you found the food agreeable.”  
“It was quite delicious, in fact I don’t know how to thank you for your hospitality.”  
“Don’t mention it. Healing is my profession and providing my wards and patients with what they need is a part of that. Have a seat.” She pointed to a chair by the table, addressing Pat she added “Be so good and bring some fresh water from the well.” Pat spun around and dashed out of the kitchen. Circe chuckled. “It would seem that your actual presence left Pat rather mute.”  
Lotor made a rueful face, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset him.”  
“Oh, don’t worry! He’ll find his tongue again faster than we might like.” Putting aside her herbs, Circe sat down across from Lotor, saying, “I fear I had forgotten my manners. I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Circe and you are currently on one of the outer planets of the Aiaia system.” Lotor felt satisfied that he had guessed his location somewhat correct. His survival instincts kicked in with full force. He wasn’t fond of deception, but life had taught him to be careful and to trust no one. Because even after he thought people were worthy of his trust, he had been betrayed and found himself on his own. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again.  
  
Again Circe felt his Quintessence stirring, although his face didn’t show any of it. In fact it was a calm and composed mask of gratitude, with a hint of bashfulness. He knows how to play his cards, Circe thought to herself and it saddened her. She had shown him nothing but kindness, but he didn’t trust it, a sure sign that someone hadn’t been treated well in life. There was a story to tell and she had every intention of hearing it from the horse’s mouth. But one must do so when one is ready. That’s fine, she could wait.  
  
Knowing that he needed to introduce himself and give some explanations about how he came to be on Aiaia, Lotor opened, “My name is Aquila. I was on a research mission when my ship suddenly broke down. I remember an explosion and then I woke up here, honestly not knowing what happened.” Lotor wanted to make sure that no one could draw a line from him to Zarkon. On instinct he had decided to create a new identity for him. He knew that Aiaia was far away enough that he was probably unknown in this system, but he didn’t want to take any risks. The Paladin were most likely hunting for him at this very moment, gathering forces and allies to bring him down.  
  
Circe decided to go with his story for now when Pat came back in and poured water for everyone. Lotor smiled at him, “Thank you.”  
Pat blushed, “You’re welcome… ummm… I’m Pat.”  
“Nice to meet you, Pat. I’m Aquila.”  
“Aquila! What a cool name! Aunt Circe, doesn’t that mean ‘eagle’ in some language?”  
Beaming eyes looked up to Circe, “Indeed it does. In a language from earth, called Italian. Do you have connections to earth, Aquila?” It felt strange for Lotor to be addressed with that name and he would have to be very careful from now on. Pat’s eyes were full of adoration and he felt a stab of regret about lying to him especially. Pat looked so full of life and energy, he seemed to be a happy boy, the kind Lotor himself was never allowed to be.  
Snapping out of it Lotor replied, “No, I don’t. But my mother was a researcher and taught me many things from various cultures. She gave me that name. I was not aware of its meaning until now.” He smiled at Pat. “You seem not only to be very strong, but also very smart! One day you’re going to become a great man, I’m sure.”  
Pat’s breast swelled with pride, “But I still have a lot of growing to do, if I want to become as great as you! You’re so tall and strong, I’m sure no one can beat you! Do you know how to fight with a sword? Can you fly a ship? How many planets have you seen?” Once the questions had started to spill out of him, it was hard for Pat to stop them. It made Lotor laugh and Circe saw that it was a real laugh. Real and unguarded.  
Lotor told Pat, “Yes, I know how to fight to defend myself and I spend more time aboard ships than I like and I know how to fly one. As for the number of planets, I’m really not sure. It never occurred to me to keep count of them.” There was warmth in Lotor’s eyes, mixed with the first buds of affection. His Quintessence was also at ease. Circe noted all of this with great interest, leaving the boys to themselves.  
Pat already piped up again, “Can you show me how to fight? Please?” In the entire universe not a single being had ever looked up to him with such pleading eyes, at least that’s what went through Lotor’s mind.  
“I’m not sure if your aunt would approve of that.” he remarked with a questioning look at Circe, who looked unimpressed.  
“Why not? As long as you won’t start any real fighting I don’t see any harm done in teaching this overly energetic little man how to coordinate his limbs in physical exercise. It will help him to steam off I hope, but don’t let it get to your head. No serious injuries, no abandoning chores! Speaking of which, have you looked after the goats yet?”  
Pat turned a little red, “Sorry, I’ll get to it right away!” and wanted to be off, but Circe called him back.  
“Wait a moment, Pat. Aquila, why don’t you go with him. It would be a good chance to get familiar with your new environment and I’m sure Pat will appreciate your company.”  
Pat chimed in, “Yes, that would be so great! I can show you around! I’ll introduce you to all our animals and then I can show you the ruins in the forest, maybe we’ll even see a Pegasus, or a sphinx or a harpy! Although the latter would be not so good, but I’m sure you could fight them off easily! Let’s go!” and with that Lotor hadn’t the slightest chance to protest. Not with Pat pulling him by the arm, jumping with giddiness.


	2. Circe

The ease with which Lotor fell into this new life was astonishing him. It took him a while to get used to being called Aquila, but eventually he felt comfortable with the new name. Most comfortable he was with Pat though and that was a great surprise for him. Lotor realized that he had never really been around children, so he had never given any thought to them. He spent most of his time with Pat and naturally started helping with his chores, took care of the animals, fixed broken fences and furniture, albeit being somehow clumsy about it at first, since he never had to do such things before. But he liked it. Lotor liked to see that he was able to mend things, that he was able to create things. Circe had brought his attention to that one evening, when they all sat together in the kitchen. Pat was playing with a wild cat he and Lotor had found wounded in the forest and brought back to Circe so she could heal her. Lotor’s arm was still covered in scratches, but by now the creature had learnt the comfort of a home and hearth and liked to return for treats. Pat was always happy to see their new friend coming back. Circe was brewing healing draughts and Lotor was reading in one of her books about Aiaian culture. After a while the cat had rolled herself together on Pat’s lap and Pat started to doze off in front of the fire place. It was a dear sight to behold and Circe treasured it. Lotor started to feel sleepy too and looked up, seeing Pat and the cat warmth filled him. Circe spoke, “You have a very good influence on him. The gods know I love this boy with all my heart, but there is only so much an old woman like me can do. Boys need men in their life too. He is a lot more balanced since you came to live with us. Besides you really are a great help. Your craftsmanship has improved quite a lot, I daresay you are even talented!”  
Lotor thought about that. “As a researcher I wasn’t used to such kind of work, but I find that I do enjoy it. I’m thankful that you allow me to stay.” Words unspoken hung between them, questions unasked. Something inside of Circe told her to wait a little longer. For now she wanted to enjoy the peace and live the happiness a little longer.  
  
After Lotor retreated to his room he stepped in front of one of the windows, looking outside into the starry sky. His shoulders felt heavy and his heart sank to depths he wanted to forget he had. The days spent with Circe and Pat were based on lies, although he tried to stay as close to the truth as he thought possible. But in the end, what did that matter? By now Lotor was absolutely convinced that Circe was aware of something being off. He wondered why she kept playing along and concluded that she must be hiding something herself.  
  
So far they had never spoken of more serious matters than daily trivialities. Sometimes people from settlements close by came to be treated by Circe and Lotor tried not to be seen, although Pat kept begging him to go to the closest village together or even travel to one of the cities or the main planet of Aiaia. When Circe was close by Lotor could count on her to extinguish any hopes of that. Circe never left her estate. It was one of her oddities, which Lotor didn’t dare ask about. He had the impression that there was a reason behind it, but she never explained and wouldn’t allow Pat to travel that far with Lotor. Lotor tried his best to brighten up Pat’s disappointment in such rare moments. He even carved a sword from a bough for him. Pat’s pure joy at the sight when Lotor gave it to him made Lotor forget all his past and live in this system, there and then, only. Pat took the sword, he held it, tears filling his eyes and all of a sudden he hugged Lotor tightly, who was entirely taken by surprise at the show of affection. Lotor smiled at himself when he recalled the memory. He didn’t know when it had happened, but he had started to truly care about Pat.  
  
The boy still had his entire life ahead of him, everything was still possible, he had so much potential. Lotor wished Pat’s future to be bright and filled with happiness and he wanted to support him the best he could to make that happen, to make sure that Pat was happy. But looking back all he saw was misery. How was he supposed to help anyone to become happy?  
  
Lotor turned around, undressing for bed when a dark cloud started to fill the sky.

* * *

Alarmed Circe opened her eyes from sleep, got up, dressed and went to the gate of the barrier she had erected to protect her kind. It was still stable, it held, for the centaurs lined up right behind it, not crossing the threshold, not entering through the gate. Even though Chiron could, he was wise enough to know how. Both of them had exchanged too many secrets. Out of all the centaurs he was the most knowledgeable, the most reasonable. She was sure that it was him who brought Pat back home. Another centaur might just have killed him.  
  
Slowly the darkness faded, the stars became less visible. A dark cloud had come and gone and so would the centaurs, Circe was sure, but first it was time for answers. She met the centaurs at the gate and except for Chiron they grew agitated, stomping their hooves. Chiron spoke, “It has been a long time Circe. You know why we have come.” There was no question in his voice, for she knew indeed. The fountain was flowing again. The fountain which the centaurs had helped building, so they demanded their rightful share.  
  
Centaurs knew the stars, found solace and wisdom in them, had learnt their secrets and now knew also how to corrupt them. That’s why it was dangerous to deal with those creatures. Sharing with them the water from the fountain only increased the danger though, for it made them more powerful. Circe needed more time. “I am aware why you have come. But I must ask for your patience. The fountain has been opened but the ages of not being used have left their mark.” She was walking on thin ice and Circe could practically feel the freezing cold creeping up from her feet until it surrounded her entirely.  
One of the centaurs shouted at her, “Nonsense! The fountain is indestructible!”  
Serenely Circe spoke, “Yes, it is indeed, but that is not true for its well. Something has polluted it and it needs to be cleansed first. In three days time I will be done with the task.” Chiron lifted his hand and everyone fell silent. He locked eyes with Circe and in that look both of them said more than their words ever could.  
Finally Chiron acknowledged, “You shall have your three days, Circe. But no more.”  
“Thank you.”, she bowed her head and returned home, more troubled than she had been in decades.

* * *

It had become Lotor’s routine to wake up at sunrise, feed the animals together with Pat, training him for a little with the wooden sword he had made and then go to the kitchen where Circe had prepared breakfast. Pat was usually in high spirits during that time, the adrenaline from sparring still rushing through his veins. Looking up at Lotor his whole body was pulsing with life and possibilities. Circe, ever watchful, thought of what to do. She needed to keep Pat safe, but she had to stay, for without her the barrier would fall, no one else could perform her rituals and keep Aiaia save, keep the energies flowing and the beasts at bay. There was only Lotor she could entrust Pat to right now, but first she wanted answers. Just before her boys were about done with their meal, she told them, “Pat, I am running out of yarn. Since you started your training with Aquila your clothes need more mending than ever before. After you finish I want you to go to the village to fetch me some.”  
“Can Aquila come with me?”, he asked hopeful, but Circe reminded him,  
“I need Aquila to help me set up the fence for the new garden. It wouldn’t do for the goats and chickens to stray into it to eat up all my hard efforts now, would it?”  
With a defeated sigh, Pat agreed, “Alright, I’ll go by myself. But when I come back can I go to the river with Aquila? He promised to show me how to catch fish with a spear!”.  
Smiling benevolently at her nephew, Circe affirmed, “Yes, but first the yarn and fence. It is best to tie up loose ends before a new endeavor.”  
  
Those words delivered an unexpected blow to Lotor. It hadn’t been Circe’s intention, but she could feel it, although he was trying not to show his true emotions for now. Grinning at Pat he said, “Don’t worry, by the time you come back we will be done and then we’ll catch the biggest fish there is in the river!” With that he ruffled Pat’s hair, who jumped up happily to clean away the dishes and get ready. After Pat was gone, Circe turned to Lotor and both were aware what was to come. Silence stretched between them, while they felt that they had to pull themselves together if they wanted to salvage the situation.  
Sighing Circe began, “Many moons have come and gone since you literally fell out of the sky into our lives. Until now I have asked no questions, because I believe that a man will tell his story when he is ready to. But I fear that we are running out of time. I am aware that you are hiding something. We all are, we all have our own darkness, our secrets. I will not force you to tell me anything. In fact I would like to begin and share a piece of my past with you, so that you can understand what will have to happen in the short future, for I need your help.” A look of surprise crossed Lotor’s face. Circe continues, “All that Pat and I have told you, is true. You already know that his parent’s died in a Galra attack. Aiaians have come to despise Galra with a passion and although you are only part-Galra, you’d be hunted and killed most likely. Probably being tortured to death. That is why you had to stay hidden from others and why I wouldn’t allow you to go with Pat past certain borders which I had erected. Within those borders you are safe, I can protect both you and Pat within the reach of my power, but it has its limitations. Keeping Pat safe always had the utmost priority for me, but in doing so I prevented him from gaining important experiences which should be part of growing up. Now that you are here I become more aware of all the things he’s missing out on, I see his potential more clearly and I don’t want to hold him back any longer. My past has come to catch up with me and even within my borders Pat might not be truly safe anymore. He must learn to protect himself. I watched both of you closely and your little sparring sessions already show effect. Pat is growing stronger by the day and he looks up to you. You both have developed a strong bond. Pat truly loves and admires you and I believe that no matter what you are hiding, you too have come to care about Pat in return. If nothing else, tell me this: Am I mistaken, Aquila?” They were staring at each other, the tension in the air was palpable.  
Being called Aquila made Lotor feel as if being slapped in the face, but that was his own fault. Everything in life came with a price and now was his time to pay what he owed to Circe. Straightening his back, putting a strength in his voice he didn’t feel like he had, he spoke, “No, you are not mistaken about this Circe. I haven’t been entirely honest with both of you, but about this you are right. Pat means a lot to me and I will do whatever I can to help you to protect him. But I need to know what to protect him against, if you want me to succeed in this.” Part of him wanted to say more, reveal his true name, but another part urged him to stop. This was about Pat now, not him.  
Circe went on, “Good. As you know Aiaia is a system of small planets with the biggest one as our main planet. Many strange creatures have made their home all over these planets and Aiaians seem to live in their parts of the planets, while the creatures mostly stick to theirs, only now and then crossing the borders, taking a few of our livestock, without causing any serious damage. It looks overall peaceful, but it is not. Once Aiaia was a magnificent place to be, all creatures living in harmony with each other. The source of that was our Quintessence. It flew from a source on the main planet and was channeled to all the planets belonging to our system. Fountains were built by man and creatures together to keep up the flow. It were prosperous times, a golden age of unity and the pursuit of knowledge. Word of the high quality of our Quintessence spread in the universe and it brought upon us the Galra. It was a terrible fight and there was no reasoning with their war cry of ‘victory or death’. Due to our superior Quintessence we were able to defeat them, but the price we paid was horrible. It drained Aiaia until there was almost nothing left and countless lives were lost. The loss of our former Quintessence changed everything, fights broke out between men and creatures, causing mistrust and separation. I tried everything I could in my power to restore our Quintessence to its former quality, but Aiaia’s resources were too damaged, the fountains were buried. Until recently. One fountain was opened again and I was surprised to find it filled with Quintessence. It wasn’t much, but there should’ve been next to nothing. The creatures in the area can feel it, they know it was opened and they are demanding their rightful part. For what men and creatures have built together, they must share. But it will make them also stronger and more dangerous, especially the centaurs. They are not only strong, but intelligent and want to have greater parts of Aiaia to themselves. I was able to come to an agreement with them, but we don’t have much time. Pat needs to leave, but I need to stay in order to maintain balance.”  
Lotor was deep in thought, absorbing all this new information. He didn’t know enough about Aiaia to judge what would be safest for Pat, so he asked, “What do you want me to do?”  
“Take Pat to the main planet. There is an academy to educate and train the future generations of Aiaia in various skills. Once I held a position of great power and since Pat is my nephew they will accept him without question. But you will be in danger. I can alter your appearance, but it won’t last forever. As long as it lasts, you will be safe. Bring Pat to the academy and where you will go from there on is your choice. I only ask you to make sure he arrives there safe and sound. The academy is the most protected place in our system, there they are still trying to bring back the glory of Aiaia and train both scholars and soldiers alike. Pat will be able to learn things which I couldn’t have taught him here, he will be able to pursue the life of his choosing.” That was all Lotor needed to know to make up his mind.


	3. Revelation

He wanted Pat to have everything which he never had. Lotor had never been free to make his choices, he had to deceive others in order to get what he wanted, knowing that the one thing he truly wished for would never be his in the first place: freedom. To be free from his father’s harshness, the blows, the humiliation. To be free from his heritage. Lotor had wanted to be free to make his own choices in life, he had wanted to be a scholar and explorer, to understand the secrets of the universe and use it for good intentions. It was a miracle that Lotor had turned out that way, given how he had grown up.  
  
All Lotor had ever known was rejection from his father and the brutal treatment from other Galra, who never accepted him, because of his Altean heritage. For centuries all Lotor had known was fighting and deception. He had wanted to prove them all wrong, wanted to show them that he was stronger, faster, smarter. But it was never enough. Still he kept on fighting, it was the only thing he ever knew after all. If that is all you are taught, all you are ever surrounded by, then that is all you can do. Dayak, his governess hadn’t been helpful in giving him any other perspectives, but at least she made sure that he also learnt about the Galra culture, as well as that of other species, so that he would know how to conquer them. Once she had left him with a pile of old logs to study battle strategies. Having finished one, he went on to the next without taking a break. Upon opening it he was baffled at what he saw. It wasn’t a log from a Galra captain, it turned out to be the log of an Altean scholar with magical powers. Lotor absorbed everything from the log with fervor. What he read in the log fascinated him more than anything he ever learned. He realized that this log must’ve been in the pile by mistake and decided to hide it, as well as the knowledge he gained from it. A seed had taken root inside of him. No one was supposed to learn about Altean culture, they were seen as the ultimate enemies, weak and inferior compared to Galra. But what Lotor had found made him reconsider and he decided to learn more. He knew that Haggar was harboring many secrets and artifacts in her lair and without permission no one was supposed to enter, for this was where she devised sources of power for Zarkon and hence the Galra empire. Seeing his life for what it was he concluded that there was nothing that could be done to him which would worsen it. By breaking into Haggar’s lair he had much to gain though, so he did. He was sly about it and he was able to enter and leave the quarters many times without being found out. Until one fateful time, when he came across an Altean log, mentioning a place called Oriande.  
Lotor was so consumed by it that he didn’t see her coming until Haggar snatched the log away from him, hissing, “What do you think you are doing here?! Guards, take him to emperor Zarkon immediately!”  
In the throne room, Zarkon looked up, addressing Haggar he barked “Why do you bring this disgrace in front of me?”  
Unimpressed Haggar replied, “Because I found him in my quarters, reading this.” and with that she handed Zarkon the log, who barely looked at it. He could tell right away that it was Altean. Treason! At last the reason Zarkon needed to get rid of his offspring. But he didn’t sentence him to death, that would’ve been to fast. He wanted this brood to be miserable all his life, to be sorry for being only half of a Galra. Zarkon’s mind was too far gone to think about the fact that he had fathered this son of his with an Altean woman.  
  
Lotor found himself sentenced to exile and outlawed. Anyone could hunt him down without being held responsible for it. By now Lotor had built up a reputation of being a fierce fighter though, so no one really dared to attack him.  
  
Lotor was left on a minor planet of the Galra empire with nothing but the garments he wore. He was a fighter, he was a survivor and with the knowledge he had gained through the logs he had read, there was enough spirit left in him to make it through this.  
  
At first he had to overpower weaker beings, take what he needed to move on, starting with food and weapons. The Galra empire was massive and on the outskirts no one had ever seen Lotor, some didn’t even know of his existence. Those were the places he sought out and for the first time in all his centuries Lotor found others, who were only half Galra just like him. First Acxa, then Zethrid and Ezor and lastly Narti, with her cat Kova. Slowly but constantly they gathered more power and resources, collecting Quintessence for the Galra empire, since that was the most lucrative way to advance. They never shared their sources with others and kept to themselves, only getting in touch with outsiders when harvesting or delivering the Quintessence. Their ships kept getting bigger, their equipment more effective. Lotor was proud, of his generals and their achievements. But never did he let his guard down, knowing that he was being watched. In a way he was free and yet he wasn’t. He had chosen this path and yet he hadn’t. Whatever he did, was simply what was necessary to survive for Lotor.  
  
Once his survival was, more or less, secured he felt emboldened to gather more knowledge again. What he had learned about Altea didn’t let go of him, it kept coming back and made him want to know more. So aside from gathering Quintessence he started to search for more clues and fragments of Altean culture, without involving his generals, which complicated things, but he didn’t want to risk it. They were part Galra like him, but not half Altean, so he thought they wouldn’t understand, although he also knew that they wouldn’t dare to keep him from going on. But he had to be vigilant at all times, since he was convinced that Haggar or Zarkon could deliver a blow at any moment. Being called back to take his father’s place and act as regent was such a blow. But Lotor was determined to turn that into his advantage.

Lotor’s mind was flooded with memories of the past and Circe felt the currents of his Quintessence running wild, but his face didn’t betray a single emotion, only thoughtfulness. Staring into space he seemed lost to her. She felt the urge to grab his hand, so she stood up to sit down next to him, taking his hands in hers. Never before had she seen claws on them, but there they were. Al Lotor was returning from his stupor his claws were retracting. Returning Circe’s gaze he saw so much warmth in them, at the same time incredible willpower. She’d do whatever it takes to keep her kin safe. He wanted to do the same for Pat. With a voice full or resolution he announced, “I will do anything I can to make sure that Pat will make it to the academy so he can become the man he chooses to be in the future.” Circe squeezed his hands more tightly and Lotor reciprocated the gesture.  
“Then it is settled. When Pat returns we need to talk all together. There are things you both need to know about. Until then, let’s see to that fence.”  
  
When Pat came back he found Lotor and Circe in the garden, just wrapping up the tools, with the fence standing strong and sturdy. He beamed, “Aunt Circe, I got your yarn! Can Aquila and I go to the river now?” Lotor and Circe exchanged a look that left an uneasy feeling in Pat’s stomach.  
Circe had a sudden change of mind though, exclaiming, “Yes, off you go! And make sure to catch the biggest fish you can find! Tonight we shall have a feast!” Pat rejoiced and after giving his aunt the yarn he ran into the stable to get the spears Lotor had carved. Lotor turned to Circe with a question in his eyes he didn’t need to ask out loud. Sighing Circe remarked, “We don’t have much time, but I want Pat to make a few more happy memories here. Darkness will come soon enough. For now, let’s take joy in what we have.”  
Pat was back like a flash, starting to tell Lotor all about his trip to the village and what he had seen there and along his way. “Aquila, you wouldn’t believe it, the boys in the village said they had seen a harpy! With wings like leather and sharp teeth and terrible claws and…”Lotor smiled down on him, listening patiently to everything Pat had to say and he treasured every word of it, knowing that their ways were soon to part. Pat had shared so much with him. Lotor wanted to return that, wanted to give Pat more than lies and deceit. Tonight, he said to himself. For now, let’s enjoy what we have, he repeated Circe’s word in his mind and shot the spear into the water.  
  
Victoriously they returned home, having caught a huge salmon, almost as heavy as Pat and nearly his size. Rushing ahead into the kitchen Pat cried out, “Aunt Circe, you won’t believe it! Aquila caught the biggest salmon I’ve ever seen, it’s hUGE! You should have seen him catching it, it was amazing!” By now Lotor entered the kitchen with his catch, but Pat kept going on, “He stood in the water as if he was frozen, not a single muscle moving when all of a sudden, like BAM he shot his spear into the water, right into the salmon! It was so cool! One day I’m gonna catch a salmon just as big as this one and I’ll be as strong as Aquila!” Amused Circe noted that Lotor’s pointy ears were drooping a little bit at the tips and he looked rather embarrassed.  
Happily she announced, “Wonderful! I’m looking forward to it. So now, while I prepare your catch for dinner I want you boys to take a long and relaxing bath and come back scrubbed from head to toe, you hear me!”  
Lotor had left the salmon on the table and offered his help to Circe, “Shouldn’t I help you first with this?”  
“Not to worry, I’ve got my methods. Off you go.” So he and Pat went to the bathhouse together, first cleaning themselves and then having a little water fight. Laughing they returned to the kitchen where Circe had managed to set up a real feast, just like she had announced earlier.  
Pat shouted out, “Wow, Auntie! This looks awesome! Good thing I’m starving, so I can eat more!” Grinning from one ear to another he sat down and didn’t realize the more restrained expressions of Lotor and his aunt.  
Throughout the entire dinner it was mainly Pat who kept talking about the day’s adventure he had with Lotor. The adults were playing along, Circe asking all the right questions, Lotor adding all the right comments to keep the boy’s spirits high. But it couldn’t last. Darkness had fallen outside and was creeping into their home. After all the plates were cleared away, Circe poured a sweet herbal draught for all of them, which she usually kept for special occasions. Now Pat looked up surprised, “What happened? Did someone get rid of all the harpies at once?”  
Circle replied, “No, Pat. I fear the harpies will haunt Aiaia for centuries to come. It’s–”.  
”There is something I need to share with you.” Lotor had interrupted Circe, who gave him an astonished look, which didn’t last long.  
Pat, now careful, asked, “What is it Aquila?”  
  
Lotor took a bracing breath. “First of all my real name is not Aquila, it is Lotor. I am the son of the dead emperor Zarkon and the Altean alchemist Honerva, who is now a witch known as Haggar.” Silence fell. Lotor hadn’t been able to make up his mind about what part of him to share with Pat and Circe. He wanted them to know it all, but he knew there was no time to retell 10.000 years of life. Now he decided to give them all the truths about him, he thought significant for them. Pat was stunned into silence and Circe gave him a matronly gaze. “My father was a terrible being, driven by his hunger for more and more power, more and more Quintessence. He hated me and kept telling me that I was his darkest shame, that my Altean blood made me weak. Ultimately he tried to kill me in battle, but in the end I was able to defeat him and found out that the witch, who helped and supported his reign with her powers and research, was once my mother Honerva. But Honerva is long gone and between the witch Haggar and me are not bonds at all. When I told you that I had no idea how I ended up on Aiaia I was telling the truth. What I remember right before waking up here, is that I was in a rift, trying to gain Quintessence and it was driving me mad, bringing out the worst in me, corrupting my entire being. There seemed to be some kind of explosion and the next time I opened my eyes I was here.” Lotor took a deep breath. Pat and Circe showed no signs of moving or saying anything, so he went on, “My whole life I was told that I was weak, a shame, unworthy. I learned that in order to survive I had to be deceitful and must not, under no circumstances put any trust into others. Because whenever I did, I found myself betrayed.” Images of the Paladin delivering him to Zarkon on a silver platter and Allura turning against him before hearing him out came to his mind. His generals losing faith in him, instead of knowing him better like he thought they would. The memories stung, but it was time to leave it behind. Pat and Circe were not like them, they were different. They had accepted him. But Lotor had gained that acceptance through lies. If he wanted to be truly accepted, he had to give them his true self. In that moment though he wasn’t sure, what his true self really was. “I have said and done things I’m not proud of, things I’d rather forget. It is not in my power to change them or to undo what has been done. But when I came here I felt like I had been given the chance at a new life and both of you welcomed me with open arms into your house, into your family. I want to be worthy of that, I want to be the kind of person you can wholly and truly accept. You did, but it was based upon lies and I regret that. I am deeply sorry about not being honest with you and I can only hope that you will forgive me. I want to prove myself deserving of the trust you had put in Aquila. Aquila and I are not the same person, yet he is a part of me, just like I am a part of him. I honestly don’t know who I am right now, I can’t tell you. I am no longer who I was. Being with you has changed me, has made me better, I–” Before he could go on he found himself embraced by Circe and was utterly speechless.  
  
Circe mumbled, her cheek on top of his head, “I understand and I forgive you. It doesn’t matter to me if you are Lotor or Aquila.” With that she held him by his shoulders, standing in front of him. “But I can not speak for Pat.” She turned to her nephew, who looked like struck by lightning.  
  
For a moment Lotor thought that he lost what he had come to treasure most, his bond with Pat. The boy had brought him so much joy, that the thought of losing him now was breaking his heart. Lotor’s eyes were pleading with Pat, when the boy jumped into his arms. Lotor held him tight to his chest, almost like an infant and apologized once more, “I’m sorry Pat, so sorry. Please forgive me. I never meant to hurt you. I know what Galra did to your parents and I’m deeply sorry about it. I can only hope you won’t hold it against me. I swear I wasn’t involved in that attack and I wish I could make it undone. I’m sorry.”  
Pat was clearly fighting back the tears, but he stood up resolutely, piercing Lotor with a stern expression, “Nonsense! You didn’t kill my parents, the Galra that were there are all dead. I don’t care if you are half Galra or who your parents are. I don’t care what you did, or where you came from. You are my friend! And friends stick together no matter what!”  
To that Lotor reminded Pat, “But friends shouldn’t lie to each other.”  
Pat insisted stubbornly, “Fair enough, but you had good reasons. Aunt Circe forgives you and so do I. You are my friend and that is that.”, he said with a pout.  
Lotor felt such a flood of relief that for the first time in his more than 10.000 years of existence he felt tears of joy welling up in his eyes. With a whispered “Thank you!” he pulled Pat back in his arms, hugging him tightly until the boy quaked, “That hurts!”  
Laughing Lotor let go of him and Circe asked, “So how shall we call you from now on?”  
Lotor couldn’t respond to that spontaneously and thought about it. He liked the name Aquila, but it was part of his lies, which he wanted to leave behind. But then there was so much more he wanted to leave behind as ‘Lotor’. Beginning a new life wasn’t as simple as changing one’s name though, Lotor was aware of that. “I want to find out who I want to be. As I said, Aquila is a part of me, yet he was not entirely honest with you. If I want to become a better person, then I need to better who I actually am, which is Lotor. Once I was a prince, then emperor, but now I am neither and that is good, because I no longer need to carry the burden that came with those titles. Now I am Lotor, half Galra, half Altean. No more, no less.”  
“Oh man, but Aquila was such a cool name!”, Pat cried out, falling into back into his chair, all tension in the room evaporating.  
Circe chimed up, “I think Lotor is quite a dashing name! It sounds proud and persevering and suits you perfectly.” Sitting back down she added, “I daresay that is enough to digest for one night.”  
Pat didn’t catch the look that passed between her and Lotor, instead he jumped up once more, “You were a prince AND an emperor?!! Wow, that’s crazy! Did you live in a fortress? Did you have your own ships? How many soldiers did you command? Won’t they come looking for you?”  
“Your last question is a good one indeed, Pat. To be honest I should hope not. Aiaia is a long distance from where I have been and I still have no idea how I came to be here. My departure happened under rather unfortunate circumstances which I prefer not to elaborate, at least not now. It is possible that clues about my whereabouts will be found, although I think it unlikely. To answer your other questions though, no I didn’t live in a fortress, I spent most of my life aboard ships and yes, I’ve had my own and I loved to take off in my fighter most of all. How many soldiers were under my command? Hard to tell… thousands? The Galra empire is massive after all.”  
Pats mind was blown by all that information and all he could do was whisper “Woooow!” in response.  
  
As interesting as Circe found this turn of events, it also left her concerned. She would have to think over her plan once more. Two more days were left to act and she was intended to make the best use of that time.


	4. Reasons

Pat had bombarded Lotor with a ton of questions, being especially captivated by everything that had to do with flying a ship and Lotor did his best to satisfy the boy’s curiosity. He couldn’t believe that both Pat and Circe simply accepted all he told them without condemning him.  He just couldn’t grasp that, but then he also thought to himself that there was still more which they didn’t know yet.  
  
Once Pat started yawning, Circe sent him off to bed, leaving Lotor and her by themselves. Circe decided that it was her turn so share some more with Lotor and opened, “I deeply appreciate your honesty with us. What I said before stands, I understand why you lied to us and I do forgive you for that. But I would also like to elaborate on it. Quintessence has prolonged my life significantly, I’m sure you are familiar with this particular quality it has. In my past I daresay that I have seen both the best and the worst in many living beings. Working with Quintessence is working with extremes. All my experiences allow me to see the universe in a more differentiated way. Who am I to judge who is or does good or bad? As an outsider one never has all the necessary facts to pass judgment and in any case I am a firm believer that no one should ever take the liberty to do so. The universe is a status quo, things are as they are and shouldn’t be divided into ‘good’ and ‘bad’. What might seem good to one could at the very same time be the ruin of another. What we must ask ourselves is how it affects us and how we want to deal with it. I am aware that your past is filled with lots of atrociousness. That is part of who you are and part of what formed you into the being you are now. But it is also only a part of you, it only defines who you are, if you let it. Right now I have in front of me a man who loves and cares for my nephew and wants to help me to keep him save. I would be a fool to throw that away, because of a past one can’t change. Living for as long as I have did teach me to use the past as a tool in order to understand the present, so that I can create a better future. Prejudices and judgments don’t help with that at all. So I decided to leave them aside and work with what I am faced with. If anyone should wrong me then it is up to me whether or not it will affect me negatively. We always have the choice to rise to a challenge or go down in despair. But this is where Quintessence complicates matters, because it is like a drug which intensifies everything up to a point where one loses balance altogether. That’s when things start to go off-kilter, because they aren’t true to one’s self anymore. Which is also why I understand that you must feel like you don’t know right now who you are anymore, because when you appeared, so did a huge mass of rather unpleasant Quintessence that gave me a hard time, because it was very persistent in being cleansed and neutralized. In the end I had to resort to what I had been trying to avoid at all costs: opening up one of the Quintessence fountains of Aiaia again.” With that Circe had to take a deep breath and the kitchen turned quiet.  
  
Lotor was thinking about what Circe had just told him, he became aware of the depth that her actions carried and questions arose within him. “Why did you not want to open the fountains again? Once you mentioned they were buried, but why? Couldn’t they be used to restore what Aiaia lost?”  
  
Sadly Circe shook her head. “No, I fear not. Believe me, I and others have tried. But when the resources of a system are too far gone there is no turning back to the point where it has been before, not without massive help from outside. We were able to defeat the Galra that had come once and due to our loss there have been no other Galra invasions since then, but the Galra had taken everything from the systems surrounding Aiaia. We were lucky enough to survive like we did. So maybe it is better that we still can’t reconstruct our former Quintessence, since it would surely call for another Galra attack. As for why the fountains were buried…” Her voice trailed off. Memories came back to Circe and she remembered how it had broken her heart to see the carved marble blocks falling. “As I said, what men and creatures have created together they must share, but everyone was fighting over what was left in the fountains. We couldn’t risk losing all of it and so it was decided that neither species should have access to the fountains anymore so that Aiaia would retain a small natural stream of Quintessence which allows us to continue our lives as they are now. Losing all the Quintessence would’ve caused Aiaia’s entire destruction and that was, of course, in no one’s interest. Even the creatures agreed to bury the fountains and so it was done.”  
  
Lotor hummed in understanding. “What can you tell me about the Quintessence that appeared with me? Why did you have to open a fountain to neutralize it?”  
  
Sighing, Circe answered him. “About the Quintessence which appeared with you I can’t tell you much. It was an unknown kind to me, but a few small experiments have shown that it had the strange quality of polarizing everything towards the negative end of a scale. Aiaian Quintessence is the exact opposite, so it was the perfect neutralizer. Cleansing a system off its Quintessence is always an option too, but a dangerous one, since the outcome is hard to foretell. If the process is done too fast, a system might not be able to adapt to the new balance and perish. It is a risk I didn’t want to take with you, but it was obvious that you needed to be rid of the Quintessence since it had started to infest your body and I am sure also your mind. You were on the brink of death, Charon was waiting to carry you over, but just when you were about to embark upon his vessel I was able to bring you back.”  
“Do you think the Quintessence I had carried from the rift had caused the increased amount of Quintessence in the fountain?”  
“That is how it would seem, although I am not able to make any definite conclusions at this point.”  
  
Both were deep in thought for a few moments, before Lotor spoke up again.  
“I think there is more you should know about my past.” Lotor looked Circe in the eyes and saw curiousness and patience. She gave him an encouraging nod, so he went on. “My ageing has been tremendously influenced by Quintessence, just like yours. I am over ten thousand years old.” At that Circe’s eyebrows rose, Lotor gave a wry smile. “Sometimes I wonder myself how that is even possible and how I was able to keep going for so long. Once I found out more about Altean culture I became almost desperate to reconnect with that part of my heritage, but my father had destroyed Altea and it seemed like no Alteans had survived. After that Zarkon never wanted to see or hear about anything Altean at all. It was treason to even mention Altea. For centuries I had tried my best to please him, to become a son he could be proud of, but all my efforts were in vain. It had started to eat at me, my frustration was growing. Then one day while I was studying the log files of Galra captains who came out victoriously from their fights I came across the log of an Altean scholar. Had I found that log a century earlier I would probably have called my governess, immediately reporting it to her. But since there was no pleasing my father I thought that I might as well give him a reason to despise me. So I read on, keeping the log to myself. In it I found magical formulas and rituals which were mainly dealing with healing effects, as well as definitions of their necessary components. Of course I couldn’t make much sense of it, but I felt fascinated and it made me want to know more. At the end of the log I found some notes which were obviously added by Galra, mentioning a location where some Altean fugitives might be hiding. That piece of information turned out to be the most important in the entire log and I had committed the coordinates to memory, which proved useful since later I was found out and sent into exile and outlawed. I suppose my father always thought that killing me would’ve been too swift and merciful a death for me.”  
Circe could almost taste the bitterness of that last sentence in her mouth. At this point she had to ask. “How come you did not despair? What gave you the strength to carry on?”  
“It turned out that being sent into exile was a blessing in disguise. For the first time in my life I was free from my father’s tyranny and being sent to the outskirts of the Galra empire enabled me to meet other half Galra, which was a novelty for me. Close to Zarkon there were, of course, only full Galra. The cream of the crop, strong and merciless. There it was only ‘Vrepit Sa!’ But the farther I travelled, the more I realized that even among Galra there is variety though. The farther I travelled, the more ballast I was able to get rid of. I was also able to continue researching Altean culture, although I had to conceal it. Along with a group of half Galra generals I was able to gather my own fleet of ships and over time it was possible for me to go on my own missions. I had never forgotten the coordinates from the log, although I had little hope to find anything, since Zarkon had undoubtedly made sure that any Alteans there had been found and destroyed. Yet I needed to see it for myself. Maybe, I thought to myself, they were able to conceal themselves so that the Galra would not find them. By that time I had come to know enough about how Alteans can change their appearance in order to blend in with other species that I was confident that I could spot them. And I did!” Lotor looked up, an almost astonished look on his face, as if surprised by his own discovery after all that time still.  
  
Circe asked, “What did you do when you found them?”  
“Nothing at first, for I wasn’t entirely sure of being correct. It turned out to be a small planet and I had to disguise myself, because I was known in that part of the universe and didn’t want to cause an uproar or frighten anyone. I took many trips to the planet and an idea had manifested itself in my mind. I wanted to provide those Alteans with a safe place, somewhere where they could be themselves without having to conceal what they were. I knew a place where the Galra couldn’t find them and created a colony for the fugitive Alteans there. The problem was that it took massive amounts of energy to do so and to keep the colony running. It would not have been possible for me to cover up the missing amount of Quintessence for that. So I had to make a decision. In order to save the Alteans I needed to sacrifice some of them by harvesting their Quintessence, so that I was able to maintain the colony and keep it hidden. Some of the Quintessence I took and sent to Zarkon, lying about its true origin and thus turning his attention in other directions.”  
  
With an uneasy felling Circe interrupted. “Did you tell the Alteans about that part beforehand?”  
Lotors face became grim. “No, I did not. I knew they wouldn’t have agreed to moving to the colony had they known the cost. But I was driven by creating another Altea, I desperately wanted Alteans to live like they did before, or at least as close to that as was possible under the given circumstances. I know it was a selfish wish, but my intentions were good! I truly wanted them to be safe and they were! The Galra never found out about them, they did not need live in fear any longer! What are a few lives when thousands can be saved?” With each sentence Lotor seemed more downcast, more desperate.  
Circe realized that he was defending himself. She went to Lotor and took his large hands in hers. He didn’t meet her eyes, his ears were drooping. “Lotor. How many people have you ever told about this?”  
Still not meeting her gaze he replied, “No one. The one time I wanted to explain this to someone I wasn’t given the chance to speak.” He would never forget how Allura had thrown him to the ground, how she wouldn’t listen to him, how she had shot at him. How she had compared him to the monster of a father he had.  
  
Lotor hung his head and Circe let him be, quietly holding his hands, giving no thought to the claws she saw again. She could feel how troubled he was and knew that he would continue when he was ready.  
  
Taking a deep breath Lotor lifted his head. “I have killed Alteans to save Alteans. I have killed my father in battle to bring peace to the universe. Once he was a Paladin protecting it, but Quintessence had corrupted him so much that he became a creature seeking nothing but power for itself. That was never my intention. I wanted true peace and to achieve that I would’ve needed to supply the Galra with infinite amounts of Quintessence, then they wouldn’t have to harvest other planets and systems, leaving behind nothing but destruction. I am NOT like my father!” With that statement he gave Circe fierce glare.  
She stayed calm, giving his hands a slight squeeze. “From what you tell me I can assure you that you are indeed nothing like him. Yes, you did something terrible, but I do see that your intentions were good and I believe that all the time you did the best you could. Making decisions such as the ones you were faced with is the true burden of every leader.”  
  
Circe’s words helped Lotor to calm down again. He began to realize that she would truly not condemn him for his actions. Clasping her hands now in return he went on. “I had made an alliance with the Paladin of Voltron, which had been a calculated move so that my father couldn’t reach me. But he offered to trade me for the father of one of the Paladin, who he held as a hostage. The Paladin had delivered me to Zarkon on a silver platter, but I can’t even hold it against them. Not when I might as well have done the same in their situation. Zarkon had decided that it was time to get rid of me once and for all, just that it was him losing the battle. I became emperor of the Galra empire and continued the alliance with the Paladin of Voltron. One of them was the Altean princess Allura. Thanks to her I was able to achieve what was only a dream before. We had entered a rift and harvested an incredible amount of Quintessence.” Lotor’s voice had become melancholic and Circe could tell that there was lot more to this princess Allura than Lotor revealed. “Right after we returned successfully after harvesting the rift for the first time, I was faced with one of the Alteans from the colony who had found out about me harvesting the Quintessence of other Alteans. Allura immediately attacked me, I lost consciousness and when I woke up I found myself in front of the witch Haggar, telling me that she was my mother and explaining why she never had maternal feelings for me. I couldn’t accept that and she ordered me to be taken away by one of my former generals, who protected me instead. We made it to the ships we had built together and returned to the Paladin. I wanted to explain myself, hoping to make them see reason and understand why I did what I did. But Allura refused to hear me out and called me worse than Zarkon. The one person whose opinion really mattered to me, the one person I had developed feelings for branded me as someone I never wanted to be and something inside of me just cracked.”  
  
Even without feeling the currents of Lotor’s Quintessence Circe would’ve been able to tell how deeply hurt he was. Living for over ten thousand years was something even she could not imagine, but it seemed that heartbreak could have the same effects no matter what age one has. She would’ve liked to hear princess Allura’s version of the events, to have her point of view, because Circe had the impression that at first Lotor’s feelings weren’t one-sided. But first she wanted to hear the end of Lotor’s story. “What happened next?”  
  
Lotor had been staring blankly into space and her question made him snap out of it. “I went into the rift to gain more power. The Paladin were attacking me and without that I wouldn’t have stood a single chance against them. But that time the Quintessence acted differently than when I had entered the rift together with Allura. My thoughts were running wild, I was overwhelmed with memories from my father’s abuse, pictures of dead Alteans, over and over I heard Allura’s voice calling ‘worse than Zarkon’ and then I shouted out terrible things. I just wanted it all to be over, I wanted them all to be gone, I wanted to have peace at last!” His voice broke.  
  
Lotor grabbed his head in his hands and Circe wrapped him in an embrace. She understood what had happened with him in the Quintessence field of the rift and now the quality of the Quintessence he came with made sense to her. Overexposure to Quintessence of any kind causes a system to collapse and that is what had happened to Lotor. He was driven mad by it, his body wasn’t made to deal with such an amount of energy at once and it had almost killed him.  
  
All of a sudden Circe felt relieved that she had opened the fountain to save his life. Ever since that night she was having mixed feelings about it, but now she was sure. Stroking Lotor’s back she wanted him to know that. “When you fell into my herb garden, you landed right next to the shed and took down some of the passion flowers with you. It was quite the sight to behold.” There was a warm, gentle teasing in Circe’s words. “The tone of your skin and the flowers were a lovely arrangement, I say! I felt a little sorry for having to tuck you into bed, because I do believe that that is the proper place for recovery. Watching you day in and day out I started to wonder about the circumstances that brought you here. Even after living a million years, I think I would not have come up with anything even close to what you just told me.” Circe took Lotor’s face in her hands and made him look at her. “I am truly glad that I opened the fountain to save you. You deserve being saved Lotor. You deserve being loved and finding your way in life. I will do what I can to help you.” With that she gave him a kiss on his forehead. “Let’s call it a night. Tomorrow we rest and gather our strength and the day after you and Pat shall be on your way to the main planet.”  
  
Lotor could only nod his head, feeling overwhelmed by a wave of tiredness. That night his sleep was deep and peaceful.


	5. Space Dagger

Pat woke up with the sunrise of the next morning, as usual. Against his habit of getting up immediately to take care of his chores with Aquila―, Lotor, he had to remind himself, he stayed in bed a little longer, thinking about the evening before.  
He couldn’t really understand why Lotor had lied to them, but it also wasn’t important to him. All that mattered to Pat was the fact that he and Lotor were friends. Pat adored him with all his heart, Lotor had become a role model for him within the blink of an eye. Showing Lotor how to look after the animals, being taught how to wield a sword, exploring the forest together and talking about anything that would come to his mind― that’s what mattered to Pat. That was the Lotor he knew and looked up to.  
How Lotor could be hated by his father was beyond comprehension for him. Having never met his own father he envied any other person who was lucky enough to have a parent, but then Lotor sure didn’t sound like he had had a good relationship with his.  
Quickly Pat’s thoughts turned to a more pleasant direction and he recalled all he had heard about flying a space ship. What an amazing feeling that must be! One day, he promised himself, one day he would navigate a ship together with Lotor and they would go on a great mission, probably to save a planet or catch a band of vandalizing Galra, yes!  
Feeling suddenly pumped, Pat jumped out of bed, grabbed the wooden sword from Lotor, which was always by his side and struck down three foes with swift and precise moves, when he heard the cry of a harpy nearby. It called him back to reality and alarmed him. Only once had he seen the blurring outlines of two harpies far away, in the distance. Aunt Circe kept telling him to be careful, but so far they’ve never had problems with any of the creatures of Aiaia. He went into the kitchen, where his aunt was preparing for breakfast.  
Worried he asked, “Aunt Circe, did you hear the harpy?”  
Without looking up from kneading the dough, Circe responded. “Yes, of course. Only a deaf person could’ve missed it. By the way, young man, it’s high time to see to your duties and feed the animals! Lotor is still asleep it seems, let’s let him rest―”  
  
Just in that moment Lotor rushed into the kitchen as well. “Good morning! I’m sorry for getting up late today. I only woke up from some strange cry.”  
Circe sighed, turning her eyes upwards. “And there I had hoped for a peaceful day. What a foolish thought of me. Very well, off with both of you! I shall explain a few matters over breakfast. Don’t worry about the harpy, she won’t come near us.”  
  
Lotor and Pat had an unspoken understanding of being dismissed and went to the stables. Once they were out of earshot, Pat started chattering. “I wonder what aunt Circe well tell us. It has probably to do with the harpy. I’ve never heard one so close by! People from the village have told me stories of how harpies have taken their goats or pigs to feed on them.”  
“Have you ever seen a harpy?”  
“Not really. Just once, they were flying in the sky and really far away, so I could just kind of see their outlines. They had leathery wings and legs like birds, but the rest of the body was like that of a woman. I think they were naked!” The boy’s face turned red and Lotor smirked at the sight.  
Pat remembered his encounter with the centaur. He had never told Lotor about it, although he had wanted to. Many times! But somehow the words never came over his lips. Until now.  
“Umm… Lotor?”  
Lotor looked up, surprised to find Pat hesitating to talk. Usually once he started, he practically never stopped. He wondered if it was about yesterday. “What is it?”  
“I… I’d like to tell you something. Only aunt Circe knows so far and I’ve really wanted to tell you before, but… Can you promise me not to tell anyone?”  
Lotor smiled warmly at Pat. “Of course I won’t tell anyone, if you want me to keep it a secret. Right now there’s anyways no one besides you and Circe I talk to and since your aunt already knows, it’ll be fine.”  
“Okay, but once day you will talk to other people again and then you have to promise me not to tell anybody! Please, promise me!”  
Lotor was astonished to find Pat so worked up about it and got very curious. With seriousness he assured Pat. “I promise not to tell anyone. You have my word.”  
Pat took a bracing breath. “Alright, so you remember I told you about centaurs already?” Lotor only nodded in agreement and Pat went on. “Right, so… Just the day before you finally woke up, I went out into the forest. That day I went really far! Like, as far as never before! I just kept going and going and then I got to that clearing and suddenly it was really quiet and I stopped. Then a centaur walked into the clearing and spoke to me! A real centaur! I’m not kidding!” Pat was growing agitated, while Lotor believed every word he said, which he assured him.  
“I know you’re not joking, Pat. You wouldn’t make up such a story. What did the centaur do?”  
“So, I was standing there and the centaur started talking to me. He said some weird stuff that I really didn’t get and then he grabbed me and galloped through the forest with me. He brought me almost all the way back. When he stopped, he told me to tell aunt Circe that what was broken would be fixed again, but Charon needed to be paid two times the usual fare, because he’d be tricked again!” By now Pat had forgotten the exact words of the creature, but he was satisfied with his recollection and thought it ways cooler than what the centaur had originally said anyways.  
Lotor creased his eyebrows. “What does that mean?”  
Pat just shrugged. “No idea. But aunt Circe seemed to understand. When the centaur let me go I ran back as fast as I could and told her everything. The next day you woke up.” With bright eyes Pat looked up at Lotor and Lotor smiled at the boy, wondering at the same time how these events were connected.  
They finished feeding the animals and went back to the house for breakfast, where Circe awaited them.  
  
She had decided to talk to both Lotor and Pat over dinner. Part of her wanted to talk rather sooner than later, but she knew that at this very moment there was nothing to be done. It was the thought of both of her boys leaving tomorrow morning which made her feel that it was the right decision.  
After a few bites into their morning meal she prepared them nevertheless. “Pat.” The boy looked up. “Yesterday after you went to bed Lotor and I talked of many things and I have come to a decision. Today I want both of you to enjoy this day the best you can and tonight I will tell you all you need to know. Both of you.” Now she glanced at Lotor, who looked back at her steadfast.  
Worried, Pat asked, “What is it aunt Circe? Does it have to do with Lotor?”  
“You needn’t worry, Pat.” Circe reassured him. “I just want you to know that tonight I need to talk with both of you. It concerns you and Lotor and the future, not the past. Let’s look forward and see how we can turn the stars as bright as possible, shall we?”  
His aunt’s smile made Pat feel better and he felt his spirits lifted. They always did when Circe would suggest to turn the stars as bright as possible. It made Pat feel as if all darkness was going away, leaving only comfort and warmth. He smiled back. “Yes, let’s turn them as bright as never before!” With fervor he finished every single bite of his meal.  
  
Lotor stayed quiet, but only on the outside. Lots of thoughts were going through his mind, about his past, Aiaia and its Quintessence, Circe’s past and present as well as Pat’s future.  
He had never been told to enjoy a day, it was not something a Galra, especially the son of the emperor, was supposed to do. In fact Lotor had never given much thought about things he _enjoyed_ in life. It was always all about duty and achieving his goals. Now that he put his mind to it, he realized that he did love spending time with Pat, especially training him with the sword he made for the boy. It filled him with pride and satisfaction to see him getting better day by day, to see him growing stronger. Knowing that at some point in the future Pat might really have to defend himself in battle gave it even more weight and Lotor felt the desire to teach him more seriously. Starting now. “How about another training session, Pat? After that we could go swimming in the river, what do you say?”  
Beaming Pat yelled. “YEAY! I’ll get my sword right away!” Like a flash he was gone and Lotor’s gaze followed him with a smile on his lips. Just moments later Pat came stumbling back and they went outside. Lotor picked up the wooden sword he used for their training. It was still early, but with the sun rose also the temperature and before noon both Lotor and Pat were bathed in sweat. Lotor had put a lot more energy than necessary into his demonstrations and would’ve loved a real sparring with another Galra. That not being possible was probably for the better though, because it gave Lotor the chance to think about the demons in his mind and slay those instead.  
When he and Pat went to the river, Lotor couldn’t wait to get rid of his clothes and dived deep into the water. He felt the pull of the current, defying it with each stroke, relishing in the sensation of the water flowing around his skin, cooling and soothing. He went as deep as possible, the water getting colder and colder, the pressure becoming oppressing. Lotor’s feet touched the ground of the river and he stopped, trying to stay upright against the stream. Everything was dark, silent and cold. He wanted to stand his ground and at the same time he wanted to be washed away, leave his past behind and start afresh. He ran out of air and pushed up with all his might.  
Breaking through the surface he found Pat staring at him with wide eyes. Lotor had to laugh at his little friend’s face and splashed him with water, which made Pat angry. “Oi, stop it! I got really worried! You were gone forever, I thought you might’ve drowned!”  
Chuckling Lotor got out of the water and sat down next to Pat, water running down his body in rivulets and his long silvery-white hair a wet mop on his back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause you worry.” Pouting Pat dropped down next to Lotor, who had started to wring out his hair. The sun had begun to burn in its zenith. Taking pleasure in the heat, Lotor lay back, crossed the hands behind his head and closed his eyes. He felt a little hungry, but didn’t want to get up yet. Sensing how the drops on his skin slowly dried and his breast lifted and sank with each breath he took filled him with deep contentment. Pat was uncharacteristically quiet and so he peeped with one eye at the boy to find him still sulking with crossed arms, staring across the river. Lotor smirked to himself, joy filling him. He jumped up, grabbed Pat under his arms and threw him up in the air and caught him again, laughing at the flabbergast expression he saw. “Come on now, Pat, cut me some slack! I was in desperate need of a bath and I think so are you.” Sniffing Pat he added, “Oh yes, definitely! Better wash those clothes right away too!” and with that Lotor threw Pat a shouting Pat into the river.  
Spluttering Pat came up quickly. “Are you nuts?!” He was trying hard to stay angry, but the water had cooled him off quite a bit already.  
Lotor dived into the water once more, laughing he swam next to Pat. “It’s possible that I’ve never been better in my whole life!” Pat splashed him with water and it made Lotor laugh only more and shortly after a water fight was in full swing.  
When they got out, Pat took off his clothes to let them dry in the sun. Stretching out in the grass he sighed, “I’m getting really hungry now!” Lotor only hummed in agreement, both being too lazy to get up any time soon.  
  
“Well, aren’t you two just the lucky ones today.”  
Both Pat and Lotor were startled to find Circe walking up to them, Lotor becoming self-conscious about his naked state of being, Pat spotting a basket filled with food on his aunt’s arm. Naked and happy he sprang up. “Aunt Circe, you are the best!” He ran up to her and took the basked, while Lotor put on his loincloth. They spread out a blanket in the shade, got dressed and ate in peace.  
  
Once his belly was full Pat laid back and looked up in the tree. A soft breeze made the leaves wave gently and just when he was about to fall asleep another cry of a harpy was heard. This time it sounded even closer than in the morning. Abruptly he sat up, looking around. Circe glanced thoughtful in the direction from where the sound came, Lotor looked ready to fight whatever would come their way, his whole body growing tense, his eyes sharp, scanning the sky. For a few heartbeats the forest seemed to hold its breath, but then everything calmed down again. Pat felt as if he had woken up from a dream and even though he didn’t want the dream to end he knew he had to face reality. All of a sudden it seemed terribly important for him to know something, although he wouldn’t have been able to tell what exactly that was.  
  
“Aunt Circe, I know you wanted to talk tonight, but please tell us now.”  
Circe contemplated his request for a moment, beholding her nephew while feeling into the possibilities ahead of them. At last she spoke. “Well, I suppose now is as good as any time.” With the harpy’s cry the light atmosphere was gone and Circe felt a burden growing on her. “I think the time has finally come for you to visit the main planet, Pat and I want you to go there together with Lotor.”  
“What?! Wow, auntie, that’s amazing, it’s―”  
Before Pat could go on Circe cut him off, raising her voice. “The purpose of your travel will not be a fun one, Pat. I want you to travel to the main planet to join the academy, so that you may achieve an education which will allow you to pursue a career of your choosing in the times to come.” Pat was speechless. Lotor had never seen him like that and it troubled him, although he didn’t need to worry, for the boy was back in high spirits quickly.  
“Really, aunt Circe? Really? But that’s great! I remember all you told me about the academy and I always wanted to go there! Now I can become a great general and defend Aiaia, or I’ll be a researcher, going on missions, exploring other parts of the universe. It will be awesome! We will move to the main planet and you can teach me at the academy too and―”  
Again Circe had to interrupt Pat once more. Shaking her head she said, “No, Pat, I fear not. I must stay here. Lotor will bring you safely to the academy and then he will be free to choose his path from there on. As a member of the academy you will not be allowed to be absent for an extended period of time. Only twice a year are the students allowed to return to their homes.” The idea of joining the academy did not seem very desirable to Pat anymore.  
  
Lotor wanted to encourage him. “Pat.” The boy looked up to him. “Pat, I know this must be a big surprise for you and I’m sure the thought of leaving your home and Circe seems overwhelming right now. But please, listen to me Pat. Circe told me about the academy and I think it will be for your best. I really want you to go there Pat, so that you can learn as much as possible and you will be able to become anything you want. You will have the freedom to decide which way your life shall take. You will have a choice! Be it in the military or an academic career, it’s all up to you. Having such a choice is the greatest gift in life, believe me when I tell you, for I never had it, although I wish I had. Join the academy Pat and create your life’s path. I will make sure you get there safely and if your aunt allows, I shall return here and wait until it’s time for you to visit your home and then I will be back to pick you up and we will travel together again, having a great adventure. What do you say?” Lotor’s voice was full of affection and encouragement, his eyes were pleading with Pat, who still looked reluctant.  
Doubt tinted his words. “Will you promise to be back on time whenever I’m allowed to visit aunt Circe?”  
Lotor looked relieved. “Yes, if Circe agrees, I will gladly make that promise.”  
  
Circe had not been expecting Lotor to return, or even to stay on Aiaia. She was pleased to hear it, although there was also worry. “I would be very happy about your return Lotor, but I must also warn you. I’ve told you before that Galra are hated on Aiaia. When you take Pat to the main planet I will be able to conceal your appearance, but it will only be temporarily and it might not last until your return. If my power should wear off before you are able to cross my borders, I can not tell what will happen to you. You will be on your own. As sorry as I am to say that, but I will not be able to save you, but I think you understand why I can’t leave.”  
  
Lotor did indeed. “Yes, I do and I don’t hold it against you. I appreciate your help and am grateful that you will allow me to return. I will do my best to make it happen.”  
  
Pat wrinkled his forehead. “Aunt Circe, why do you never leave? What borders do you have?”  
She sighed at her nephews questions, for it was a talk that was long overdue, but which Circe had been avoiding. She had tried the best she could to keep the darkness outside, but now it was coming and she needed to prepare Pat for that. “Pat, you know once I was a member of the academy, helping to develop Aiaia’s Quintessence until the attack of the Galra. I told you about the fountains, about men and creature sharing them until our ways parted and the fountains were buried. Now the creatures are a threat to men. I have lost most of my power, but I am still able to call some of it. That is why I am able to live here in peace. Among other things my power allows me to erect and uphold borders which the creatures can’t cross. If someone crosses my borders, I can feel it.” She gave Pat a knowing look and the boy’s face turned red. “Recently a fountain has been opened. By me.” Pat turned a surprised look at her. “Yes, it is better that you know, I think. Are you aware what that means?”  
Having heard the words more often than he can count, Pat repeated them. “What men and creatures have built together, they must share.”  
“Yes, we must. But the fountain I opened lies within my borders, so the creatures can’t reach it. For now. But tomorrow at midnight I need to allow them access, for I was able to fool them into an agreement. Pat, I’ve taught you enough about the creatures of Aiaia that you are aware of the danger they mean, especially the centaurs. Once they have access to the Quintessence in the fountain I fear that I will no longer be able to protect you the way you need to be protected. I want you to be able to grow up as free as possible. I’ve held you back for too long already and I want to apologize for that. All I can say is that I wanted to keep you as safe as possible, that was my utmost priority at all times. But darkness is coming and the best place for you to learn how to turn the stars bright will be the academy. It is the safest place in our entire system.”  
  
Pat thought about all that his aunt and Lotor had said. He realized the gravity of the situation and knew he had to leave, whether he wanted to or not. Both Circe and Lotor had made sure to not make it sound like it was an order, but he knew that there was no real choice for him. “So when will Lotor and I leave?” A new seriousness was in his voice.  
Circe had never heard it before and was both sad and relieved about it at the same time. “Until tomorrow morning I shall have finished the preparations for your journey.”  
“So soon!” Pat shouted out.  
“Yes, Pat, so soon. Remember, tomorrow at midnight the creatures will be coming and I want you to be far from here by then.” Until now Circe hadn’t fully realized herself how rapidly Pat and Lotor would be gone. She kept telling herself that it was for the best, that it was for Pat.  
  
Lotor had been listening closely to their conversation and a new thought had crossed his mind. “Circe, you said men and creatures must share what they built together. But that means that not only the creatures will gain access to the Quintessence in the fountain, also the people living here will. Won’t they start fighting over it again? Why don’t you just close the fountain?”  
“Indeed, men should have access to the fountain as well. But unless I will let them know that it has been opened, they won’t realize it. The creatures only know about it, because they can feel the Quintessence. They are more agitated since I opened it and by instinct they are seeking it out. The people living here will probably wonder why the harpies are more active and closer. Of course burying the fountain seems like a simple solution, but it is anything but that. Intricate rituals had to be performed to not only bury them, but also to seal them off. In order to break the seals I had to resort to the last supply of refined Aiaian Quintessence I still held in possession from my time at the academy. Since it is gone I do not have the resources it would take to seal it once more. All I can do is try to remind the creatures that balance must be maintained and that they can not take more Quintessence than men. They should not be allowed to take more than that, but it will be difficult to make them see reason I suppose.”  
“Aunt Circe, why do you not take the Quintessence from the fountain to seal it off?”  
“Because it would take refined Aiaian Quintessence, not the raw kind which is flowing through the fountains. Raw Aiaian Quintessence has strong powers, but only the refined type would make the rituals work.”  
  
Lotor was curious about the types and qualities of Aiaian Quintessence, but he also wanted nothing more to do with it. It had caused enough damage in his life. He wanted to face the future, not the past. Addressing Circe he asked, “Is there anything we can help you with, concerning the preparations?”  
“In fact there is something you in particular can do. Now that I think of it, it’s good that we are talking about it here and now. Follow me.”  
  
Not far from where they’ve had their picnic was a rather large, circular clearing. Circe stopped at the edge of it, bent down and cleared some grass away, exposing a marble plate in the ground. Symbols were carved into it and when Circe spread out her hand over it they lit up. The ground shook for a moment and the grass of the circular clearing started to sink down, split into two halves to open and reveal a spaceship. Pat’s jaw dropped to the floor and Lotor was wondering what other secrets Circe was keeping to herself. The ship was small, but sleek and gave Lotor the impression of gliding very smoothly both through the air and outer space.  
  
Circe felt Lotor’s Quintessence stirring and was pleased. She didn’t know what space crafts he had been used to, but as the son of an emperor she was sure that he had been piloting some of the best ships there were. Her personal ship was not impressive in size, but she had made sure that it would be fast and agile. She had always loved flowing designs and her ship paid homage to that. Proudly she announced, “This is my ship and I’m sorry Pat, that I never told you about it. Knowing that you’d want to go for endless rides I spared you the knowledge of it. But you and Lotor shall take it to get to the academy. It will add to the credentials I will send you off with.” She turned to Lotor. “I believe it would be a good idea for you to get familiar with my space dagger, as I used to call it. There must be significant differences between her and the Galra ships you used to pilot.”  
  
Lotor and Circe boarded the ship and she explained the basics to him. The entire layout of it was simple, elegant and effective, Lotor loved it. He memorized everything quickly and Circe had no second thoughts about letting him go for a ride together with Pat, who was eager to get into the ship too. Before Circe added one more thing to know for Lotor. “The space dagger is designed for perfect camouflage, its surface naturally adopts what it surrounds. The power units are almost inaudible when flying at decent speed, only at high speed they will draw attention, but then you’ll be gone so quickly that no one will be able to spot the ship. I would advise you not to fly at high speed though. Now this ship is fueled by a Quintessence substitute I am able to create, but it’s a long process and what is left in the tank will have to suffice to carry you to the main planet and back. There is still plenty left for that purpose, but not if flying at high speed. Be mindful that the tank is at least half full after going for a ride with Pat.” With that she left the ship and let Pat take over her seat in the back, behind Lotor.  
  
“Wow, Lotor, this is so cool! I had no idea aunt Circe had her own space ship!” Lotor smiled at Pat’s excitement and started the engine. The whole ship seemed to come alive, he could practically feel it and it seemed Pat did too. “That is crazy! Can you feel that? What is this??”  
“That is the ship’s energy. The stronger a ship, the more distinct you can feel its energy when it’s activated. It seems Circe was and is a lot more powerful than I thought, judging by this ship alone. Now please pay attention, Pat. Don’t touch any of the panels, no matter how badly you want to. Keep your hands to yourself. Do you understand?” His commanding voice always worked with Pat.  
“Yes, I understand.”  
“Good, then let’s go.”  
Circe followed their slow ascension and once they were above the treetops it seemed like the space dagger was gone, melting into the sky above. Off they took and Circe went to collected what was left of their picnic and returned to her home. There was still much left to do.  



	6. Last Supper

At dusk Pat came dashing though the door, Lotor following behind him more leisurely. “Aunt Circe! It. Was. AMAZING!” Pat could not hold back himself and let go of a flood of words Circe could barely understand, because he spoke so fast. Smiling she looked at him, gesturing wildly while recalling all the details of flying with Lotor. “We didn’t even fly out into space today! Woah, I can’t wait for tomorrow, then we’ll go all the way to the main planet!” The flight in the space dagger had made him forget why he was about to embark on it again. Now all Pat could think of was the adventure that lay ahead of him. It was the prerogative of every child to be that way and Circe wouldn’t want to have it any differently right now. Pat kept going and going when all of a sudden a loud meow was heard from the open window. It made him stop and turn around, exclaiming, “Look who’s back! Hey there kitty, I’ve missed you, where have you been? You must be hungry, let me get you some food, come here!”  
  
Lotor had sat down at the table. Circe brought him a cup of water and he complimented her on her space craft. “The space dagger is truly remarkable. She reacts immediately, but smoothly and it’s a pure pleasure to pilot her. I’m sure we will have no troubles with her on our journey.”  
Circe nodded in agreement. “Good, I am glad to hear it. I used to be very proud of her, since I had a strong hand in designing and crafting her. Knowing you appreciate the space dagger makes me happy to leave her in your capable hands.”  
  
The evening passed pleasantly. Circe and Lotor put any melancholy aside and Pat was interested in hearing more about the academy, so his aunt told him about all the different subjects he would be instructed in, about the cadet training and how it all worked together. “But bear in mind that all that is now a long time ago. I suppose things have changed quite a bit, not only in the academy, but the entire capital as well. Even the layout and structure of buildings might not be the same anymore, so be careful when you approach and send the signal exactly as programmed, do not alter it.”  
Lotor assured her he wouldn’t. “Don’t worry. I won’t tamper with the setting and leave it exactly as it is.”  
“Good. Tomorrow morning I will give you a few more documents to present in front of the council. There should be no obstacles with accepting Pat, but these old men can be difficult just to make it clear who is in power. Surely you know a lot about the workings of political matters.” Circe’s added dryly. Lotor gave a wry smile.  
“Indeed I do and I hope to put my experience to good use for Pat.”  
The boy piped up. “Hey, I’m sitting right here, did you forget?!”   
Lotor ruffled his hair across the table. “Of course we did not.” Pat’s pout didn’t last long. It never did. He always seemed to reach for everything and anything that made him happy, Lotor thought and became aware that he would miss the boy terribly.  
  
The unexpected drop of Lotor’s Quintessence flow made Circe look up in surprise. As usual none of it showed on his face and she wondered how long and hard he must have practiced to keep up a mask like this at all times. She hoped to hear more about his past one day, for Circe knew that it was necessary to work through old wounds in order to heal, so one can create a better future.  
  
After making sure that her boys ate enough to gather energy for the day ahead, Circe announced, “Let’s call it a day. Before we go to bed I only have one more thing for Lotor.” She gave him one of her vials. “This is a draught to temporarily change your appearance. You need to drink it now and overnight it will do its work. Everyone reacts to it differently and I can’t predict how exactly it will alter you, but I assure you that the process won’t be painful.”  
“How long will it last?”  
“That also is hard to foretell, because it depends a lot on one’s Quintessence flow. The stronger the flow, the faster the elixir loses its power. It could be effective for an entire week, but given your strength that is unlikely, but it should last at least for two days. The journey to the main planet takes less than a day, so there is little time for you to return.”  
“I understand.” With that Lotor swallowed and gave Circe back the empty flask.  
  
When he came into the kitchen the next morning, Pat and Circe were already there. Pat looked at him and almost disappointed he said, “You don’t look much different. Only your skin color has changed and you have marks on your cheeks.”  
Circe stated, “That is perfectly enough to hide his Galra heritage. It’s good that it didn’t cause any more drastic changes, since it will help to blend in more easily. Although I fear that your height itself will still draw attention, but that can’t be helped.”  
  
After breakfast Circe gave them all they needed and went over all the coordinates with Lotor one more time. Then they went to the clearing where Lotor had landed the space dagger. Circe turned to her nephew. “Pat.” The boy stood up straight, trying not to make a face, tears in his eyes. He couldn’t speak and Circe silently hugged him, wondering when he had become so big. “Pat, listen to me. You are a great, brave and very smart young man now. It is time for you to find your own way, but know that I will always be there for you.”  Her voice became thick with emotion. “Don’t worry, you will always always have a home with me and soon you will be back to visit. Lotor and I will be waiting for you. In the meantime do your best, learn with fervor, train with passion.” A last tight hug and then she held him by the shoulders in front of her. Tears were flowing down their cheeks, Circe wiped Pat’s away. “Go now. Turn the stars as bright as you can!”  
Pat could only nod his head, turned around and boarded the ship. Lotor had seen emotional partings in his life before, but never with someone he cared about like Pat. The knot in his throat surprised him. Seeing his slightly drooping ears made Circe feel better. It was just so adorable! Smiling she held out her arms to Lotor, who embraced her.  
“I will make sure that no harm will come upon Pat on our travel, this I swear to you!”  
Stepping back, Circe looked up to him. “About that I have not a single doubt. The only safer place than within my borders or the academy for Pat is by your side. Now let’s not waste any time. The sooner you depart, the sooner I hope to see you returning safely.”  
  
When Lotor took his seat the space dagger came alive and together with Pat he went out into space, towards the unknown. He had an uneasy feeling and thought that the darkness Circe had talked about could have as many shapes and names as there were beings in the universe.


	7. Arrival

The flight had been uneventful and Lotor and Pat were approaching the capital of Aiaia. Sending out the signal just like it had been programmed Lotor immediately received an answer from the tower of the academy, guiding them slowly to the landing platform. Pat remembered what they all had agreed upon the night before. It had been his aunt’s idea.  
“Please remember both of you that Galra are despised by Aiaians. I think it is best that we keep Lotor’s true identity as hidden as possible and call you Aquila from here on again, whenever we are not among ourselves or outside of my borders.”   
  
Pat couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t see Circe again for many moons to come. Sadness and excitement fought inside of him as they were getting nearer the academy. Lotor said to him, “We will be landing shortly. Are you nervous?”  
“A little. Do you think the friend aunt Circe mentioned yesterday will come?”  
“I can not be sure, although I guess that if this Elpis is still here, then he will.” Lotor recalled what Circe told them.  
  
“At the academy I had a close friend. His name is Elpis and we were working side by side. He will recognize the signal and the space dagger at once, if he is still there. You can count on his support. Once we swore an oath to each other and he will honor it.”  
Lotor had been curious about the oath, but something inside of him made him refrain from asking about the details or the background of it. Circe gave him the time to tell his story when he was ready and the least he could do was to return that favor.  
  
Lotor straightened in his seat. “Alright, Pat. We will descend now. Be ready.”  
Pat’s pulse went up and his hands became sweaty. He looked down and saw the platform getting closer. With a soft thud they had landed and Lotor opened the space dagger and helped Pat to get down on the platform. Three men were awaiting them, two of them armed military. The man standing in the middle seemed scholarly, but stood tall and proud. His face was carved similarly to that of Circe and he spoke, “Welcome to the academy of Aiaia! I am Elpis and you must have been sent by Circe. I hope she is well and in good health.”  
Lotor answered smoothly, “Indeed she is and she asked us to give her greetings to you. I am Aquila, a friend of Circe and this is her nephew Pat, who wishes to join the academy.” Pat stepped forward, trying hard not to look nervous. Elpis smiled down upon him.  
“I remember you, young man. I also remember your mother and father, they were both outstanding members of the academy and I am sure you are more than worthy to join our ranks.” He turned his gaze to Lotor. “Please come with me. You must be tired from your travel. Refresh yourselves and then we shall talk.”  
“Thank you. We deeply appreciate your hospitality.” Lotor bowed slightly to Elpis, who looked pleased and showed them to their quarters.  
  
After they took a shower Lotor and Pat were shown to Elpis halls. Lotor had never seen such a unique compilation of old fashioned books and logs before. Shelves upon shelves were filled with them, spreading out between marble columns. Some parts held objects from various parts of the universe and Lotor was able to identify a few, but not all of them. He was intrigued and Elpis noted it.  
“I see you are interested in my collection. Are you a scholar of any kind?”  
  
Lotor was on alert. Circe had told them that Elpis was trustworthy, but he still felt like walking on thin ice. In his experience even the most innocent of questions could lead to one’s downfall. “In a way I am, but more of a researcher and explorer really. Your collection is truly impressive, I have never seen the like of it. You must have travelled long and far yourself in order to gather all these pieces.”  
Elpis smiled knowingly at Lotor. Both knew how the game worked and so it went on with Elpis pointing to the table that had been set for dinner. “I will be happy to share some of my stories with both of you while we eat. Please, take a seat!”  
  
Pat had been uncharacteristically quiet since their arrival. Lotor was aware of it and it didn’t come as a surprise. The boy’s entire life was about to change. He wanted him to look forward to it. Before he could say something to Pat though, Elpis spoke up again.  
“So, young Patkardian, what―” Seeing the faces of Pat and Lotor made Elpis stop in the middle of his sentence. Laughing he asked, “What’s with the faces my friends? You are Patkardian, are you not?” His eyes turned to Pat, whose face had taken an interesting shade of red.  
Reluctantly he retorted, “Yes, I am. But no one called me by that name in years. I don’t like it.” Pat stared darkly at the food in front of him.  
  
Lotor chimed in. “I had no idea! Neither you nor Circe ever told me that ‘Pat’ is only an abbreviation of your actual name.”  
“Yes, because, as I said, I don’t like it. I prefer Pat and everyone calls me that.”  
Elpis laughed and Pat’s expression became sour, which made Lotor smirk and Pat felt betrayed by his friend. Lotor was not supposed to be on any other side than his!  
With a friendly tone Elpis explained to Pat, “I fear we are more formal here at the academy, Patkardian. Your seniors will all call you by your full name and even those who will become your close friends shall use it during lectures and training units.”  
Lotor added, “I think the name is rather grand. You should be proud of it!”  
None of the two remarks made Pat feel any better. He didn’t want to be disrespectful, so he decided to say nothing and dug into his dinner.  
  
“As I was saying” Elpis continued, “Pat, what is your first impression of the academy?” Hearing the scholar use his nickname appeased the boy’s ire spirit.  
Thoughtful he replied, “I didn’t think it would be so huge!” He looked at Elpis now. “The walls are massive and I’ve never seen such big halls before. But there are almost no people, yet there is all this space here…” His voice trailed off.  
Elpis regarded Pat with a new seriousness. “You cut quickly to the chase. That’s very promising, for a member of the academy needs a fast wit and strong conviction. The council has already been notified of your arrival and tomorrow morning you shall speak in front of them.”  
“Will Aquila come too?” There was worry in Pat’s voice, but Elpis assured him.  
“Yes, the council will have questions for him too and you shall attend the meeting together.” Pat looked relieved and the scholar smiled encouragingly at him.  
  
Lotor hadn’t been aware that he would have been questioned along with Pat. He would have to be even more on alert than he had thought.


	8. The Council

In the morning the academy seemed more alive than the evening before. Students were walking along the wide hallways, on their way to lectures or to one of the laboratories. Pat and Lotor also passed a courtyard in which cadets were sparring. Pat drank in all the impressions and was getting more nervous and excited at the same time. Seeing the cadets made him want to join them immediately, to show them what he had learnt from Lotor so far.  
  
Lotor himself paid close attention on their way, memorizing every detail. Their escort stopped in front of a massive double winged door, which slid open without making a single sound. Across the hall on a podium stood a long table. Six elderly looking council members sat behind it. Three women, three men, Elpis among them. Six seats were empty.  
One of the women spoke up. “Welcome to the academy of Aiaia. You were already greeted by Elpis and he told us about you. Now we must judge if young Patkardian is suited to become one of our members. We are the council and shall pass judgment. Before we begin it is necessary to confirm your identity. Your aunt Circe must have provided you with the necessary documents, so we would ask you to present them in front of us now.”  
  
It was Lotor who stepped forward and handed them the logs Circe had given to him for this purpose. The council members studied them carefully. Murmuring with one another. Pat flexed his hands and felt the urge to move from one foot to another. To distract himself he looked around and admired the huge statues and banners which adorned the hall.  
Lotor could have been one of the statues, staying immoveable and strong, gazing straight ahead at the council gathering. There was no doubt in him that Pat would be accepted, but still he had an uneasy feeling which wouldn’t let go of him since leaving Circe’s borders. He watched the council closely. They all seemed to be a different species, with three of them belonging to the scholarly faculty and three to the military faculty. An even balance of faculties and gender, it was a good sign. Yet one of the members kept looking his way, but tried to be as unobtrusive about it as possible.  
  
After what felt like an eternity to Pat one of the men addressed him. “Patkardian.” Pat stood up straight and stiff, drawing back his shoulders. “According to what we have seen you are a suitable candidate. But lineage and legacy alone are not enough. You will have to work hard to prove yourself, you will need patience and perseverance. Do you think you have what it takes to rise up within our ranks?” Pat was given a challenging stare. “Think carefully before you speak.”  
  
Pat did. The answer came surprisingly easy to him. “I don’t know.” Silence filled the hall, some council members looked astonished, others kept an unreadable expression. Lotor looked down at his friend, feeling proud that he was able to admit his thoughts honestly. “I really don’t know if I have what it takes. But I do know that I want to try and I want to do the best I can.”  
  
The man who had glimpsed at Lotor several times raised his voice. “Apart from all credentials, why should we accept you into the academy of Aiaia?” He sounded condescending, as was his whole demeanor. Now he openly studied Lotor from head to toe and Lotor knew by instinct that he was of a different caliber than Elpis altogether.  
  
Pat swallowed hard. “All I have ever known was my home with my aunt Circe. I have never been anywhere else, except for the view villages that are around. But I really want to learn about Aiaia, about the universe, other planets and systems! I want to travel and I want to learn how to fight so I can protect others. I think the academy is the best place for that. I will work really hard, I promise! Please give me a chance!”  
  
The woman who had greeted them at first spoke again. “Well, Elpis, it would seem you have not promised too much. But let’s see. Those in favor of Patkardian raise their hands.” Five hands rose up without delay. “Zelus.” She addressed the man who obviously held something against Pat and Lotor. “What is your concern? The vote must be unanimous as you know.”  
  
Twisting his lips he replied, “My dear Atalanta! I have nothing but the academy’s best interests at heart! Our numbers are far from what they once were, but still we must be careful about accepting new members. We have a reputation to remain after all, don’t we?” Zelus let his gaze wander over the other council members, silently challenging them. “We haven’t heard from our infamous Circe since she left and now all of a sudden she sends her nephew with a complete stranger.” He turned to Lotor once more. “What was your name again? I fear I didn’t quite catch it.”  
  
Calmly Lotor answered Zelus, “I have to apologize, for I have yet to introduce myself to the honorable council of Aiaia.” Lotor bowed deeply and went on. “My name is Aquila and I am a friend of Circe and Patkardian. She asked me to accompany her nephew and make sure he arrives safely at the academy. Circumstances prevent her from taking care of this task herself and on Circe’s behalf I would like to apologize for her absence.” With another bow he concluded his explanation.  
  
Far from being satisfied Zelus demanded, “I’m sure it would be most interesting to hear more about Circe’s circumstances. Accepting her nephew into our academy is no small matter. She ought to be here for his support herself, I daresay!”  
  
Lotor despised the overly dramatic attitude of Zelus, but he knew how to handle it. “Her reasons are her own. I am in no position to question or challenge her decisions, nor those of the council and can only hope for your goodwill and generosity.”  
  
Zelus was about to retort, but Atalanta cut him off. “Enough of it Zelus. We are here to judge Patkardian’s suitability for the academy. Neither Circe not Aquila are in question. If you have no more questions about the young man here, I ask you to announce your judgment.” She was powerful, probably more so than Circe, Lotor thought. Another force to be reckoned with.  
  
He was exactly the type of member Circe had mentioned and Zelus made another show of eyeing Pat disparagingly. With a deep sigh he announced, “Oh well, why not? Time will tell if he is truly cut out for our ranks. He shall have my vote too.”  
  
“Then it is decided.” Atalanta stood up. “Bring forth the goblets! As it is our custom to celebrate the birth of a new star in our midst.”  
  
“Let me!” Zelus threw in. “I feel I need to make amends for my rather rude behavior towards Patkardian and our dear Aquila.” Lotor knew a fake smile instantly when he saw one, but it was still crucial for him to play along. Zelus went to bring forth a tray with eight goblets on it and filled them with what looked like red wine. In the meantime the council members left their places behind the table and went to the middle of the hall, arranging themselves in a circle, according to the mosaic on the floor. Pat and Lotor were shown their position, joining the circle. Zelus handed everyone a goblet and took his place.  
  
Elpis said to Pat and Lotor, “We all must empty our chalice until the last drop. Then turn it around and put it upside down on the tray that will be passed. Everyone has to remain on their position. When the goblets are back in their place it will activate the ritual and the stars shall rise from the ground up into the sky.” Pat looked down and realized for the first time that the mosaics on the floor were constellations within a large circle, on which they stood. It seemed all entirely surreal to him, but here he was with Lotor by his side. He looked up to him and Lotor returned the gaze, giving an encouraging smile. Pat stood up more straight again. He could do this!


	9. Ceremony

Atalanta raised her goblet and everyone followed her lead. “Let us drink to the rise of a new star in our firmament. May he bring light to the darkness and illuminate the way of those who are lost. Know thyself!”  
Like a chorus all other council members repeated in unison, “Know thyself!” The goblets were raised and emptied, Pat and Lotor following the example of the others.  
  
As soon as the drink touched Lotor’s tongue he knew something was wrong. But for Pat’s sake he needed to finish all of it and return the chalice. After he had swallowed everything he felt like he was burning up from the inside. With all his might he tried not to let it show, but his vision became blurry even before he had the chance to return his goblet and he couldn’t hold back a low groan. Lotor dropped to his knees, grabbing his stomach, with the chalice clanging loudly through the hall. Everyone looked at him in shock.  
  
Pat rushed to his side, letting his own cup fall to the ground. “Lotor! Lotor, what is with you?” In his shocked state he had forgotten to stick with calling him ‘Aquila’.  
  
Zelus cried out triumphantly, “Lotor?!” He pierced Lotor with his eyes. “I knew something was amiss the moment you entered our holy halls! You are not what you want us to believe. How dare you take the council of Aiaia for fools?! Did you really think we would fall for it?”  
  
The lines on Elpis face seemed to deepen. “What is the meaning of this Zelus? What have you done to him?” he asked with concern.  
  
“I have merely added a few drops of a potion which reveals one’s true colors. And look what an interesting shade of lavender we have here now.” Lotor was obviously in great pain, kneeling on the floor, panting with sweat glistening on his forehead. His skin had slowly turned back to its natural color. The faces of the council members hardened.  
  
Grasping Lotor by his shoulders, Pat tried to understand what was happening. “Lotor! Lotor! What is it? Lotor?” Turning to Zelus he cried out, “What’s happening with him?”  
  
“This is nothing in comparison to what awaits him. We have a very special place for Galra here on Aiaia.” Zelus replied with a malicious grin and went on. “Circe betrayed us!” He looked around. “How dare she send a Galra into our midst? The loss of her power and position must have finally taken its toll.”  
  
One of the council members spoke up. “Zelus has a point. In the dungeons with the Galra and away with the boy, for his fate is yet to be decided.”  
  
Atalanta darkly agreed. “It shall be as you say, Aedos.”

* * *

  
  
A shock raging through every single fiber of his body woke Lotor up from unconsciousness. He was held upright by chains on his wrists, which hung from the ceiling. His ankles were in shackles, his hair had been tied up. It was dark except for a few green light orbs in the walls. Another shock made his entire body grow stiff and he groaned in pain, throwing back his head, grabbing the chains.  
  
He had experienced pain. It was a natural part of being raised as a Galra. But this was new. This was different. There was no possibility for him to fight back.  
  
“You seem to be quite the specimen. Usually your kind buckles much faster after getting a taste of my special treatment, which I reserve for your species.” Zelus voice was sickeningly sweet. He enjoyed torture. He enjoyed it immensely. Seeing Lotor fighting not to give in only multiplied his perverse pleasure.  
  
 Handing an assistant in a dark cloak behind him a rod with a forked end, he demanded, “The whip!”, which was given immediately into his outstretched hand. The whip’s lash was glowing in a poisonous tone of green. Zelus circled Lotor, studying his upper body. “I say, you must have been in some rather impressive fights, down in your pits! How many have you killed? Do you even remember their faces, their names?” He came to a halt behind Lotor. “Well, it doesn’t matter.”   
  
With his eyes and nostrils wide open he lashed out at Lotor’s back, who grunted through clenched teeth, clinging to his chains. Time after time after time Zelus struck until he was out of breath and sweat and blood were running down Lotor’s back. Not once did Lotor allow himself to cry out and it started to agitate Zelus, who spat, “Just you wait! We have taken down every single Galra we could catch, no matter if it’s a full- or just a half-blood. You are all the same! I will make you regret the day that you crawled into the universe! You are nothing but filth, you don’t deserve dignity, you don’t deserve a life! You come from dirt, so you will live and die in it!”   
  
More lashes followed, until the walls of the cell and even Zelus face were splattered with Lotor’s blood. Zelus was heaving and grabbed Lotor’s head by his hair, forcing him to look up. He was barely conscious. “Oh no, you will not die. Not yet. First I shall have my fun with you.” He rammed an injection into Lotor’s side and at that he finally tore his eyes open and let out a scream. Zelus rejoiced. Laughing he cackled, “That’s it, my friend! Sing for me, sing it for all Aiaian’s to hear! Louder!” and rammed a second syringe into Lotor’s other side.  
  
Darkness had finally come.


	10. Labor Camp

Yes, Lotor had known pain from fighting, but he had always been able to fight back. Now he was drugged, part of his Quintessence had been extracted from him and lashes from whips or rods were part of the daily routine at the labor camp he had been sent to.  
  
He was only a shadow of his former self. All fight had left him. He felt that he deserved all the misery in the world. He was a piece of shit, worth less than the dirt he walked on. He had to be thankful to be allowed working in one of the mines of Aiaia, which were part of the labor camp. He was thankful for the mud covering his skin, to cover this shameful evidence of his heritage. He wanted his head to be shaved, but the overseers were too fond of dragging him by it, so he let the strands be covered with grime, trying to distance himself visibly as far as possible from who he once was.   
  
The entire labor camp was filled with Galra. Zelus considered it his life work. After the attack of the Galra on Aiaia he had concentrated all his power, efforts and research into seeking revenge. All the surviving Galra from the attack had become his prisoners, his toys to be tortured and used for experiments, to find out the best ways to maintain a constant state of pain and despair. This labor camp bore the sick fruits of his success.  
  
Day by day Lotor had to crawl deep into the mines and every time he got back out he was punished for not having mined enough. The wounds on his back never healed, for they were opened and deepened by new lashes and strokes too fast and only patched up sufficiently to allow the overseers to continue with their torture the next day.  
  
After roughly closing Lotor’s cuts he was usually dumped in his cell, which was nothing more than a dark ditch. There the drugs did their work and he was haunted by visions of Pat being outcast from the academy, thrown into the streets to starve to death. Circe was being hunted by centaurs and ultimately trampled to death. Zarkon’s voice was constantly present, echoing “My darkest shame” over and over. Then there was Honerva. The perfect image of his mother, a pure and beautiful Altean. Until Quintessence started to pollute her and she turned into Haggar.   
The Paladin came chasing both her and Lotor, lead by Allura, who had come to hate him more than anything in the universe. Allura. She wanted him to suffer now, she wanted revenge. Just like Zelus and yet it was so much worse. Allura. Flashes of her tender smile mixed with the dread and pain in Lotor’s mind. He remembered the softness of her lips. He remembered how she had thrown him to the ground like the piece of shit that he was. He remembered how she had leant into him when he held her. He remembered the scorn in her last words.  
  
Motionless he lay on the ground when wave after wave broke over him and there was no way out.

* * *

  
  
Zelus was most pleased with himself. There was no doubt in his mind that Princess Allura would love the sight of his labor camp. He knew her background and that she had lost her whole planet because of the Galra and that recently a short lived alliance with them had been a failure in the end.  
  
He was aware that the princess had come to Aiaia in search for more promising allies, but then he was sure that she’d appreciate the little excursion he was able to fool her into. She seemed terribly young and naïve to Zelus, but he also knew better than to underestimate an Altean alchemist, especially if she was the daughter of King Alfor, who had been well known for his powers on Aiaia.  
  
Well, he was about to find out. The princess had just arrived at the camp and was on her way to his laboratory in the heart of the camp.

* * *

  
  
Allura was in shock. In her whole life she had never seen a place more dreary and miserable than this. The sight of hundreds of Galra in chains, soiled and wounded made her want to run away and never come back. Yes, she had her prejudices against that race in particular, but she had also been able to overcome them. Witnessing the treatment they received stung very close to a wound in her heart that was still too fresh.  
She had to do something, but right now she knew that there was nothing to achieve by causing an uproar, since she was all by herself. The other Paladin had not accompanied her on this mission to the main planet of Aiaia and now she regretted to have insisted on them splitting up to investigate several planets of the Aiaia system at once.  
  
Zelus greeted her at the entrance of the main building. “Welcome Princess Allura! I hope you had a pleasant journey from the academy to my humble province. It would be my great pleasure to show you around and share with you more detailed insights into my work.”  
  
The sneer in his face sickened Allura to her core. She knew that Galra needed to be dealt with, but not like this. This place was an abomination. It was impossible for Allura not to show what she was thinking. “Master Zelus, I came under the impression that you would want to show me your laboratory where you have achieved groundbreaking work in the field of potions.” Allura’s voice was like steel. “I was not aware of the environment in which your laboratory would be located and I have no idea what gave you the impression that I would welcome such a sight.”  
  
Zelus was too old to be taken aback by Allura’s demeanor. Calmly he suggested, “If the princess would be so generous to give me at least a chance at presenting some of the results I was able to achieve thanks to this perfect conditions which I have created for my research, then maybe she would come to understand the greatness of my work.” And he pointed towards the gate behind him.  
  
Everything in Allura screamed at her to leave this place and yet she found that she couldn’t. On the contrary, something was drawing her inside these gates, which she was sure led to hell. So she followed Zelus inside, who had picked up explaining all about his experiments on Galra, their endurance, life-span, how to extract their Quintessence, but leaving enough just to keep them alive to make them plyable…   
  
They went past several cells and Allura barely registered what he was saying. Never would she have thought that a day might come in which she would feel bad for a Galra. But here she was. Passing cell after cell, occupied with emaciated and deeply wounded Galra made several emotions at once clash inside of her. Anger and pity were fighting for the upper hand with the urge to bring this all to an end immediately.  
  
In front of the last cell Zelus came to a halt, announcing proudly, “And THIS is my latest catch!”  
  
Time had stopped for Allura and Zelus words had turned into white noise along with all other sounds. It couldn’t be. It was impossible. He was dead. He was gone. Gone in the rift. She and Keith hadn’t been able to find him. There had been no trace of Sincline anywhere. Lotor was dead. He had to be! This couldn’t be!  
  
Enamored with the sound of his own voice it took Zelus a little until he realized Allura’s frozen state and he trailed off, his gaze shifting from the princess to Lotor, who was kneeling unconsciously in the middle of the cell, his arms stretched above him on chains. He was so covered in grime that he was barely recognizable, his hair a muddy bulk on his head.  
  
Leering at Allura, Zelus had an idea. “Let’s wake him up, shall we?” He pressed a button next to the door of the cell. The chains in Lotor’s cell lit up and he began screaming and buckled up.   
  
It tore Allura out of her stupor and she yelled at Zelus, “Stop it! Now!” And with that she sent him flying down the hall, where he lay paralyzed. No one else was there to witness her outburst and now she had free access to the cell.  
  
Suddenly Allura felt as if the weight of Voltron was trying to tear her down. The first step inside the cell seemed like a Herculean task to fulfill. The second step wasn’t any easier. But she kept going and with each step her heart was turning more into the same scarred mess that Lotor’s skin had become.  
  
Right before Lotor she sank down to her knees. A part of her wanted it to be an illusion. This couldn’t be Lotor! She took the head in her hands, gently lifting it, just a little bit. “Lotor?” she choked. But no reaction. She shook his head a little and put more force into her voice. “Lotor!” Her voice echoed through the halls.

* * *

  
  
How long had it been since someone called him by his name? Lotor wondered, thinking that his mind was toying with him again, this time sending him a vision of Allura in his cell. She held his head in her hands and it felt so real. But of course it was impossible. He didn’t need to open his eyes to confirm that it wasn’t real and before he could change his mind pain ripped through his whole body again, wave after wave until the nightmares came, as always without fail.

* * *

  
  
Zelus assistants had overpowered and immobilized Allura. She was brought to one of the currently empty laboratories and put on a chair that was standing in the center.  
  
Shortly after Zelus entered, openly showing the disdain on his face. “It seems I have miscalculated your appreciation for my achievements considerably.” He drew closer to Allura. “That leaves me in quite a predicament, since I can not get simply rid of you. So what shall I do with you, princess Allura? Shall I let you go in peace?” His face became thoughtful and he was staring Allura in the eyes. “Oh noooo. Your eyes are telling me that you will not leave this place in peace and I can not have you destroy my work. I have come too far!” Zelus raised himself to his full height. “For now you will stay here and I will make sure you stay put until I have decided what to do with you.” And with that he left.  
  
The lab in which Allura was held had no windows and it was impossible for her to tell how much time had passed. Hunger had come and gone and when she was no longer able to stay awake she had fallen asleep only to rise up in panic, her heart beating frantically. That’s when she realized that she could move again. She was bound to the chair, but that didn’t matter since she only needed to be able to move her finger in order to send the emergency signal to the other Paladin. She couldn’t know if it would even reach them, but it was her best shot.  
  
At some point she was being immobilized again and someone left some food with her. The moment after the door closed Allura felt like being drained. She didn’t want to eat the food on the tray, but she knew that she had to sustain herself, she needed energy if she wanted to escape. If Zelus goal had been to kill her off, he would already have done that, there was no point in poisoning her now, so she decided to take the risk. Just when she reached out to the plate, the door burst open, with Hunk and Pidge running in.  
  
When they saw Allura their faces lit up. “Allura!” They shouted in unison and ran to her. Pidge blurted out, “Allura, what happened? We were flying right over this area when we got your signal! You won’t believe what we found! But first let’s get outta here!”  
  
Relief washed over Allura, but just for a moment. She felt too weak to get up by herself. Wobbly she said to her friends, “Thank you guys, that was perfect timing!”  
  
Hunk asked with worry, “Allura, can you get up? We better leave fast now. There were a few shady folks we had to take care of, but I’m sure there’s more of them!”  
  
“Now isn’t that about right my young little fellows. I have to say, it’s rather rude to show up unannounced and break into someone else’s property. Not the kind of manners to be expected from the Paladin of Voltron.” Zelus stood in the door, behind him his soldiers.  
  
Pidge cried out, “Hunk, get us out now!” and threw a grenade towards Zelus.  
Hunk grabbed both Pidge and Allura, telling them “Hold on tight!” The armor on his legs went seemingly on fire and he broke through the roof with them at the same time as the Pidge’s grenade exploded. Their Lions were close by, Hunk took Allura and Pidge got her Lion ready.  
  
Allura was weakened, but her mind was working on overdrive. “Hunk, wait!” She called out to him, but before she could say anymore, Allura collapsed and lost consciousness. Hunk and Pidge took off with her as fast as their Lions would take them.

* * *

  
  
Everything was a blurry mess when Allura tried to open her eyes and her head was killing her. She was able to make out the worried faces of Hunk and Pidge above her, surrounded by trees.  
  
Pidge piped up, “She’s awake!”  
Hunk added, “Thank goodness! Allura can you hear us?”  
  
Allura grumbled and got up. Before she had time to get over her nausea all that she had seen at the labor camp and laboratory hit her with full force. Clenching her hands into fists she called out, “We have to get back! They’ve got hundreds of Galra in some sort of labor camp and use them for experiments. It’s absolutely horrible! One of their prisoners is Lotor!”  
  
Pidge and Hunk looked gobsmacked, but Pidge managed to retort, “Well, that would explain why we have found Sincline. Or rather what is left of it.”  
  
Only now did Allura start to pay attention to their surroundings. They were in the middle of a forest and not far from them the trees were blown away, leaving broken stumps and torn up soil where Sincline lay shattered. Allura’s eyes became wide. All traces of doubt that it truly had been Lotor were now gone. She had to go back, she had to get him. With all her heart she wanted to get Lotor out of that camp.  
“I have to return now! We can’t waste any time, they might be killing Lotor this very moment!” Her voice betrayed her despair and she was frustrated because her magic didn’t seem to work. She wondered what had been done to her while she was in the laboratory.  
  
Hunk and Pidge exchanged uneasy glances and Hunk spoke up, “Allura, do you really think that’s a good idea? From what we’ve seen those guys ain’t to be underestimated. We were lucky to get in and out so quickly.”  
“Right!” Pidge threw in. “Surprise was on our side, but from now on they’ll be prepared and have their guards up. Let’s wait for the others to join us and then let’s come up with a plan.”  
  
But that was the furthest thing from Allura’s mind. She didn’t want to wait a single tick. She wanted to save Lotor and feared that each heartbeat away from him might be his last. Once before she thought that she had lost him, she couldn’t bear the thought of crying any more tears for the same reason again. Despair gave way to determination and Allura’s magic returned to her with full force.  
  
She jumped up and into the green Lion and although bonded with Pidge the Lion responded to Allura and took her back to the labor camp. The cloaking device Pidge had created for her Lion was now very useful, for it allowed Allura to return unseen and hide the Lion outside the camp in a cave she had spotted while flying over the area to figure out how to get Lotor out most efficiently. She didn’t want to cause any harm to innocent bystanders, yet she couldn’t help but consider that the Galra, Zelus and his underlings were hardly innocents. Still she didn’t wish to simply finish them off. First she wanted to get Lotor out. About the rest she would think when she had the capacity for it.  
  
After she hid the Lion she made her way quickly to a side gate of the camp, where a unit of Galra was led back inside. Their chains clinked, they were more slurring than walking, heads down and not one of them did fight back any of the whips from the overseers. Allura would never have thought that it was possible to oppress Galra and wondered what Zelus had done to them, what he had done to Lotor.  
  
She saw no other way of getting in than taking out the last of the overseers and changed her appearance to imitate his. She didn’t care that it was a mad plan, she had no time to think any deeper about it, she had to act.  
  
The chaos which the Paladin had caused earlier was now her greatest advantage, because the soldiers didn’t suspect any of Zelus’ overseers and focused on using the Galra to let go off their steam and agitation.  
  
Once she was inside the walls Allura made sure to stay in the shadows, constantly making her way towards the main building. The problem was that she had only seen figures with green cloaks coming and going through its gates, but the overseers were colored in dull gray and brown tones. Just then a green cloak passed by her and without thinking she took that one out too, leaving him unconscious in a narrow alley behind some boxes. She drew the hood deep into her face and recalled the way that Zelus had led her.  
  
Passing through the entrance hall another assistant suddenly addressed her. “You! Hold on there!”  
Allura froze in place and slightly turned towards the man, who spoke again. “Bring this to Master Achos down in the dungeons. I have more important matters to take care of right now than being his carrier!” and with that he shoved a long, narrow crate in her hands and turned to leave.  
  
Allura supposed that the dungeons must be the place where she had seen Lotor and hoped that he would still be there, although knowing that someone was waiting for whatever was in the box left her feel more alert.  
  
Walking upright, since she now had a reasonable explanation for going to the dungeons, she felt the tension rising and could barely contain her magic. To her surprise the dungeons didn’t seem guarded, just like it had been when Zelus showed her around. The silence was eerie. Until a scream echoed through the hall. Without thinking Allura sprinted down, grabbing the crate tightly. Coming to a halt in front of Lotor’s cell she could see that one of Zelus assistants was lashing out at Lotor with a whip and then turned a key, which made Lotor’s chain light up like she had seen it once before and again he shouted out in pain.  
  
Thinking back Allura has no idea what possessed her to blow down the cloaked figure with the crate, but there was no hesitation in her actions. The man was taken entirely by surprise and went down without even making a sound. Lotor’s chains went back to their normal color and heaving he hung in the middle of the room with his arms raised high above his head. Allura couldn’t stand to see him like this. Covered in mud and grime, bleeding and emaciated. But there was no doubt that this was Lotor.  
  
Seeing him in such a state broke her heart, although she had thought that it wasn’t possible to hurt any more than it already did. To cover it up she had thrown herself into trying to fix the mess which Lotor’s disappearance had caused and bring peace to the universe, and she had tried to convince herself even that she hadn’t fallen all too deep for Lotor after all, that she had barely known him. What did it matter that she had never felt so save as in his arms before? What did it matter that he was ambitious, intelligent and attractive? He was a Galra! He had lied to her, he had betrayed her!  
  
Yet now she saw him bound in chains and the pain spread out from her heart like poisonous ivy, clawing its way into depths she didn’t know she had.   
Crying out his name she went down in front of him, cradling his face in her hands once again. “Lotor. Lotor! Wake up! We have to get out of here! Lotor!” Like before there was no reaction from him. Time was of the essence and Allura desperately wanted to take Lotor as far away as possible this very instant. In her desperation she shook him violently, shouting angrily at him. “Lotor! You HAVE TO wake UP! Now! Do you hear me? Lotor, wake UP!” Without meaning to Allura had forced some of her magic into Lotor, who suddenly tore open his eyes, looking straight at Allura.  
  
Shock, pain and disbelief made it impossible for him to speak. Allura. It couldn’t be. It was impossible. It had to be another nightmare, another cruel vision sent by the drugs that were forced into his system to drive him mad.  
  
“Lotor!” Allura was overwhelmed by her own emotions, tears were streaming down her cheeks and she threw her arms around him, burying her face at his neck. He was alive! Lotor lived! He was here, right in front of her. Not giving a Quiznak about his appearance she wanted to be as close to him as possible and pressed tightly against him. His low groan brought her back to the present situation though. She was smeared all over with his blood and grime now.  
  
“Lotor! We need to get out of here, now! Zelus could be here with his minions any moment and―”  
  
“Allura. No.” It was all Lotor was barely able to get out.  
  
Allura couldn’t understand. “What do you mean, ‘no’? We have to leave! Do you know―”  
  
“No. Allura…” His words were weak. “ I do not wish to leave this place.” The resignation in his voice made Allura realize that he was serious about this. But she would not have it.  
  
“What the Quiznak are you saying?!” she retorted passionately. “There is no way I’ll leave you in this hell!”  
  
With a sad smile Lotor reminded her, “You did it once before. It shouldn’t be any harder to do it again.” Allura felt like being slapped in the face. Lotor saw it and went on with a strained tone. “Allura, you have no idea how deeply sorry I am, for everything. For every single time I wasn’t completely honest with you and others. I… I…” He groaned, obviously fighting the pain, but he went on. “I have made terrible decisions in my life and now I have to pay for them.” He averted his eyes, trying to hide how ashamed he felt. “You were right to leave me behind. It is what I deserve. You shouldn’t be here, you…” Lotor breathed hard. “You should be saving the universe from… from scum like me. You―”  
  
“Enough!” Shouting it out with all the might she was able to muster Allura grabbed Lotor’s face to make him look her in the eyes. “It’s enough! First I need to get you out of here! Lotor, where is the key to your chains?”  
  
Resigned Lotor just shook his head. “Allura, don’t.” Seeing Allura like this, knowing that she was witnessing his darkest state once again pained Lotor more than torture ever could. Allura. She had become everything good and beautiful in the universe for him. He had wanted to protect her, to see her thriving, to bring peace with her. But he had made all the wrong decisions. Now he deserved to be punished for that. Allura was too pure for him. He was not worthy of her.  
  
Footsteps were heard running towards them. Ready to take down anyone trying to stop her, Allura spun around and almost shot at Keith and Pidge.  
  
Keith blurted out, “Allura! The heck!” Spotting Lotor behind her his eyes widened in shock.   
  
Pidge urged everyone to get going.  “No time for talk! We gotta be out in a tick! Lance and Hunk can’t distract them forever!” and shot Lotor’s chains off.  
  
With a grumble and distorted in pain Lotor fell to the floor. Allura was immediately by his side and wanted to heal him, but Keith stopped her. “We don’t have time now! Let’s go!” So he and Allura took Lotor between them, which was easier than it should have been, except for Lotor’s height.  
  
Obviously Pidge had gotten her Lion back in the meantime for both the black and green Lions were waiting right at the entrance of the main building and a fight was going on in a sector at the other end of the complex.  
  
“I will take Allura and Lotor with me in the black Lion. Pidge you go and make sure that Hunk and Lance get out right now!” Keith instructed them and they took off.


	11. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of smut in this chapter, but if you like it, then you can skip it. The beginning and end are marked ****

The Paladin wanted to get as far away from the labor camp as possible and decided to go to one of the planets at the outskirts of the Aiaia system where they had come across Sincline. On the way Allura tried to heal Lotor, but her magic didn’t work on him and Lotor’s blood was smeared all over her armor and face. Lotor had lost consciousness and wouldn’t wake up again, although he was alive. Barely.  
  
The Lions landed one by one and the Paladin gathered to discuss their next steps, but as soon as their feet touched the ground they were surrounded by soldiers from the academy, led by Atalanta. It wasn’t in her nature to waste any time. “Princess Allura.” The tone in her voice demanded authority and never failed to achieve it. “I would appreciate it if we could settle the matter at hand peacefully. Show yourself and surrender the Galra!”  
  
Allura had remained on the Lion with Lotor and didn’t want to leave him like this, not even for a moment. She held him tight in her arms, growing more desperate with each wound that wouldn’t close. Why was her magic failing her? She needed to act, but there was no way that she’d hand over Lotor. Absolutely not.  
  
Before being able to respond to Atalanta’s order there was a massive explosion coming from below Sincline. The remains of the robot were shattered to pieces, the Lions, Paladin and soldiers got hit by the shock wave and were blown away. Allura and Lotor tumbled around in the Black Lion and Allura lost consciousness. The Paladin were scattered and heavily injured, the soldiers of the academy along with them. Even Atalanta had been taken by surprise, yet unharmed. Circe had cast a shield to protect her.  
  
Atalanta turned around. “The moment that Galra had set foot on the academy I felt your magic on him.” It was a simple statement, almost dry, with a hint of accusation.  
  
Circe smiled. “It has been a long time, Atalanta. I see the years have treated you well.”  
  
“Spare me your pleasantries, Circe!” Anger and another emotion that Atalanta refused to define flared up inside her. “What were you thinking?”  
  
Circe didn’t answer with words. Between her and Atalanta they had always been unnecessary. When the words unspoken became too heavy, Circe looked around. “Don’t you ever get tired of it?” It was an honest question, and Atalanta heard the weariness. Circe didn’t even try to hide it. Seeing all this devastation right in front of her reminded her too strongly of the past. She had tried hard to prevent Quintessence causing major damage again and now it felt as if she had failed, yet she had decided upon her next move already.  
  
Atalanta glared fiercely at Circe. Others would have quivered, but not so Circe. She stood her ground.  
  
Atalanta had never backed down from Circe’s challenges in their past and had no intention of starting with it now. Squaring her shoulders she scanned the area, a mess of cut off trees, parts of Sincline and the damaged Lions and wounded soldiers. The Black Lion was easy to spot and resolutely she turned towards it, knowing exactly where Circe would want to begin.

* * *

  
  
When Allura regained consciousness she felt incredibly lightheaded, while her limbs were sinking deeply into comfortable covers. She didn’t recognize the voices that were talking next to her in a low murmur.  
  
“It is positively outrageous that even after all this time you are still so powerful.”  
  
“You truly haven’t changed Atalanta. Fierce and full of spirit even at our age.” Circe turned to Allura’s bed. “She is awake.”  
  
At that Allura opened her eyes. Now she recognized Atalanta from her short stay at the academy, before heading to the labor camp. Lotor! She sat up straight in an instant and demanded, “Where is he?”  
  
Circe looked mildly amused. “My child, I have to say, with that glow you could possibly melt iron. Do not worry, Lotor is safe and right here.” She stepped aside and Allura saw Lotor sleeping deeply on a bed next to hers. Relief poured through her entire being and made her slump down a little. Circe went on, “I prefer to give my wards more privacy, but since there are more of you than I have rooms to spare arrangements had to be made. I hope you do approve.” Allura could only nod, feeling incredibly drowsy all of a sudden. “You should rest some more, princess.” Circe spoke gently to her, tucking Allura back into the covers. Turning her head towards Lotor he was the last thing she saw before sleep claimed her.  
  
In the middle of the night Allura woke up again and all was quiet. She heard Lotor’s soft breathing as he lay motionless in his bed. Her eyes got used to the darkness and she was able to see his breast lifting and sinking steadily. Not being able to resist the urge, she went to his side, taking his hand in hers and stroked his hair. How soft it was. She lifted his hand to her cheek and closed her eyes. Emotions overwhelmed Allura and tears streamed down her face. To hell with it, she thought and lay down, snuggling to his side. Deeply she breathed in his scent and closed her eyes in bliss. Right now she refused to be filled with guilt about feeling like this was all she ever needed to be complete.  
Holding tightly on to Lotor, feeling his strong heartbeat and the steady rise and fall of his chest she glided back into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

  
  
Lotor awoke to a soft snoring noise. Opening his eyes he recognized the ceiling at once. Looking down he thought that he must still be dreaming. His last memory was in his cell at the labor camp. Allura had been there and he vaguely thought to have seen two of the Paladin storming in and then all had turned black.  
  
Startled he realized that all pain was gone and his head was clear, as if a dull veil had been lifted. Beholding how Allura lay by his side, drooling on his tunic while making the most adorable snoring sound he ever heard tore at his heartstrings. It was just too good to be true. In his dreams he was never able to touch her, to reach her, no matter how hard he tried and he always did, without fail he always tried to embrace her just one last time and now was no exception. With infinite care he lifted his free arm to tenderly stroke her cheek, trying not wake her.  
  
Allura stirred and sighed. Pressing slightly more against him and moving one leg over Lotor, resting it in a most fortunate or, as far as Lotor was concerned, unfortunate place. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. This is not the time, he firmly reminded his own body. But parts of him had decided to take a life of their own and had never been prone to reason. Especially not with Allura around. A low growl escaped his throat and Allura lifted her head. Their eyes met and for both of them the rest of the universe ceased to exist.  
  
***** ***** ***** *****  
  
There was no place for thoughts, only feelings and want. In one motion Allura was over Lotor, kissing him hotly until both were out of breath. Lotor tried to hold back, Allura could tell. But she wanted him unleashed, she wanted him to mark her, to make her his. The rift had given her a taste of it and now she craved for more.  
  
She didn’t have much experience, so she followed her instincts and let Lotor’s reactions be her guide. Being on top she grinded down on his impressive bulk. They kissed deeply and Lotor grabbed Allura around her buttocks, pressing her down even more. She moaned into his mouth and sat up in a riding position. Her hips moved on their own and she closed her eyes, throwing back her head. Lotor sat up, not able to resist her exposed neck, biting and pricking her skin with his fangs.  
  
Almost nothing gave Allura more pleasure than feeling his claws and fangs piercing her skin. In return she nipped his ears. With a rumble from the depths of his throat Lotor threw Allura down onto the bed and ripped her gown open. Allura let out a moan, pulling Lotor’s head down to her, entwining their tongues, while Lotor lifted his tunic and took his pulsing shaft to tease Allura. She was wet and so very ready for the taking. The sounds of her dripping entrance being just slightly breached by his thickness were driving both of them crazy with want. “Lotor, please!” His last shred of self-restraint was gone and he pushed deep into Allura’s wetness, thrusting hard. He threw back his head, pearls of sweat were forming on their bodies.  
  
Allura was losing her mind over feeling Lotor so hard and deep inside of her. He was so huge and ripped and it turned her on beyond imagination, rubbing her in all the right spots. “Ah! More… more! Lotor!”  
  
He pulled out. “No! No! Lotor―!” Turning her around, poising her peach shaped buttocks in front of him, Lotor rammed his dripping cock right back into her and stars danced behind Allura’s closed eyes. “Ah! Lotor, that’s so good!” She lifted her ass up to meet his thrusts. “Give it to me, please!” Lotor held her by her hips and pumped deep into her. In this position she felt even more tight. Lotor started to pound her into the mattress, not holding back anymore. “Oh, Lotor! Yes, yes, Lotor! Deeper! Please!” Allura’s moans pushed him over the edge and he spilled his cum deep inside of her with a low groan, taking Allura right with him.  
  
Lotor’s seed filling her insides made Allura feel as if she was drowning and being reborn at the same time. It was pure bliss and so incredibly hot that she couldn’t stand the sheer pleasure of it. She almost passed out, breathing hard and mewed when Lotor pulled out of her.  
  
At the sight of his pearlescent semen dripping out of Allura, Lotor felt his breast swelling with possessiveness. She was his. His nostrils flared, taking in the scent that filled the room.  
  
Allura was unable to move and already about to drift off. Lotor lay down beside her and pulled her into his arms, where she fit perfectly and together they fell asleep.  
  
***** ***** ***** *****  
  
Atlanta sat at the table in the kitchen and turned her eyes towards the hall. Raising an eyebrow she remarked dryly, “Again?”  
  
Circe just said, “Well, it is good to know that Pat is safely tucked away in your quarters at the academy.”  
  
“Isn’t it.” Atalanta took a long breath. “But I must say their stamina is impressive. Shall we bet when they will finally come out? It has to be some when before facing starvation.”  
  
The door burst open before Circe could reply and the Paladin came in from the garden. It took them less than a tick to catch the noises and each face showed a very unique facet of its own. From embarrassment to outrage and several shades of red, everything was there. Circe and Atalanta were rather entertained at the sight.  
  
Lance cried out, “No way! Not again! Seriously, this has to stop, I’ve had enough!” and went back to where he came from.  
  
“Wait for me!” Pidge followed him, leaving only Keith and Hunk in the kitchen. Both were obviously uncomfortable with the sounds from the hall. Keith just closed his eyes for a moment and relaxed the fists of his hands before helping himself to some of the food on the table and Hunk joined him. Circe was happy to see how Hunk appreciated her meals and how he kept asking her about recipes and ingredients. They had decided to ignore the background noise and were chatting pleasantly, while Keith ate in silence and Atalanta studied a log.

* * *

  
  
Allura lay next to Lotor, still breathing hard, while he wrapped himself around her from behind, feeling utterly debauched. Just when her breathing calmed down, Allura’s stomach gave a loud growl. Sighing she admitted, “I’m starving! My body won’t be able to take another round without eating, I fear.”  
  
All Lotor did was hum in agreement, while lazily tucking his nose into her neck and stroking her arm up and down. “Lotor, I’m serious. We need to eat!” Allura turned to face him.  
  
Grinning mischievously Lotor retorted, “All I need to eat is you.” and he kissed her deeply.  
  
Allura moaned slightly and reciprocated the kiss until her stomach growled again, louder this time. Her eyes were pleading with him and reluctantly she became serious. “We can’t stay here forever, although I wish we could.” She gave him a light kiss.  
  
“So do I.” Gently he rubbed his nose against hers and pressed their foreheads together. “But it is as you said. We can’t. The universe keeps on moving, but we need to face it.”  
  
Allura swallowed and nodded in agreement. They got up and dressed, or rather Lotor did. Allura was at first too wobbly on her legs to stand and stumbled back onto the bed. Besides her gown was still torn apart, so Lotor took out one of the tunics from a chest and pulled it over her head. It was too wide for her, but Lotor thought that Allura had never looked lovelier. He helped her up and wrapped his arm around her waist, supporting her. She smiled up at him, thankful and leaned into him.  
  
Lost into themselves they entered the kitchen until they saw the people at present. “Why my, it would seem the lovebirds have finally flown the nest!” Atalanta remarked ironically and closed her log. Circe looked at them with mirth and the hint of a smile around her mouth. Keith stared at them angrily from the table and Hunk almost didn’t dare look at them at all.  
  
Lotor and Allura got all bashful and Circe thought that those two pairs of drooping ears were absolutely adorable. She had had no idea that Galra could blush, but Lotor’s lavender skin turned a shade darker on his cheeks. Allura was a vision beside him. She shone brightly and beautiful, but Circe could tell that she was also powerful and not to be underestimated. What a perfect match they are, she thought.  
  
Just in that moment Lance and Pidge walked back in. Upon seeing the couple Lance got immediately fired up. “Allura! What the hell? Are you out of your mind?  Did you forget what he did?” He turned to Lotor and kept going. “YOU! You better prepare yourself, because once we―”  
  
“Don’t you DARE!” Everything seemed to go dark at once, with Circe’s eyes turning into flaming embers. Except for Atalanta everyone looked at her in shock. “This is my house, Lotor is under my protection and no one will threaten him here for as long as I live. Do you understand?” She seemed taller to Lotor than he had ever seen her and her power was palpable in the air.  
  
Lance had shrunk and all he could do was squeak weakly, “Yes, m’am. I’m sorry!”  
  
Within a breath all returned to normal and Circe announced, “Good. Then let’s all sit down. Most of us haven’t eaten yet and we will need our strength. Great damage has been done and every one of us will have to do their share to make up for it.”  
  
So they all sat down in silence around the table to eat and it did not sliped Circe’s attention that Lotor quietly served Allura all her food and drink. Allura said nothing, but her rosy ears and cheeks spoke for themselves and she stole a few side glances at Lotor, who did his utmost to give a stoic impression. Circe smiled to herself. Darkness had come, but the stars had not faded.


	12. Gathering

Circe served wine after everyone had eaten. “I want all of you to raise your cups. Not in celebration, for it is too early for that, but in praise of life. We all have survived this far and I want us to be thankful for that. It gives us the chance to make the universe a better place.” Thoughtful looks met hers, others averted their gaze or stared stubbornly at their plate. “But before inspiring betterment in others, we need to start with ourselves. Every single being tries to do their best at any given time and yet no one is without fault. Let’s not forget that.” She looked at Lotor. “May all of us turn the stars as bright as we can!”  
  
Atalanta stood up, raising her cup. “Let’s be thankful for life and may the stars show us the way to make it a better one!” Her tone became stern. “Raise your cups!”  
  
And everyone did. “To the stars!”  
  
Atalanta sat back down. “Well, now that that’s settled, we might as well begin with the inevitable. We all have questions and want answers, I suppose.” Backs straightened and jaws tightened.  
  
Allura spoke up. “What was that place where Lotor was kept?” All softness was gone, her glare was bold, but of course Atalanta met it unimpressed. She seemed to ponder her answer while studying Allura.  
  
“Princess”, she eventually said. “You were born millennia ago and yet you are still so young and full of idealism.” There was no scorn or mockery in her words. Atalanta was merely stating facts, so it didn’t sting to hear them. “I shall tell you what you wish to know, but be warned! Chances are high you won’t like my answer.”  
  
Allura thought about her words for a moment. “I shall hear what you have to say.”  
  
“Of course you will, but will you also be able to keep your head and temper cool?” Atalanta seemed honestly doubtful about it, but nevertheless went on. “That goes by the way for all the present Paladin.” Her eyes traveled around the table, daring them. “What you have seen was Zelus’ labor camp. It was established for the sole purpose of torturing and experimenting on Galra.” The silence that filled the kitchen was oppressive. Circe and Atalanta felt the stirrings of Quintessence, but no one said a word. “I am not sure if you are all aware of Aiaia’s past and our history with Galra. They had tried to claim our superior Quintessence for themselves and had they succeeded they would’ve left nothing, as is their way to conquer the entire universe. We were able to defeat them, but our loss was tremendous and up to this day we are unable to recover from it.” She shared a look with Circe, memories welling up in both of them. “The hatred Aiaian’s came to developed for Galra is not surprising, I think that much you will understand. Especially you, princess. You have lost your home planet because of them and will probably be the one to sympathize the most.” It wasn’t entirely a statement, it was also a question and Allura wanted to answer it.  
  
“Yes, I hated the Galra too. But…” She looked up to Lotor and he met her gaze, patient and steady. Under the table he took her hand and squeezed it, letting her know that he was with her. Thankful Allura gave him a little smile before turning back to Atalanta. “But I was able to learn that the deeds of a few do not speak for a race as an entirety.”  
  
Lance couldn’t keep it in any longer and burst out. “Allura, are you serious?! Did you forget about the Alteans that guy killed? He committed genocide!” He raised himself, pointing an accusing finger at Lotor, who showed no emotion on his face, but Circe could tell by the currents of his Quintessence that he was far from being composed on the inside.  
  
“Young man!” she strictly chastised Lance. “You will mind your tone in my house and better remember what I told you just before.” She knew what Lance was talking about, but it was also obvious that the Paladin did not have all the information that she had. Lotor had mentioned that he had wanted to explain about his motives once before and wasn’t given a chance. Now she became aware that it must’ve been the Paladin who would not let him speak. Well, she would make them listen now. “Genocide is a big word for a man as young and inexperienced as you. Yes, the Galra have committed genocide, but Lotor did not.” Lance took a breath, but Circe cut him off before he could speak. “You will listen to what he has to say about the matter you are referring to. All of you!” Closing her eyes Circe concentrated on the strings of their Quintessence, which her wine had revealed to her more clearly. Without effort she took hold of them and reigned the Paladin into silence. She could’ve done anything with them right now, but she wanted them to be fully aware and cognizant of what Lotor would have to say. They all felt that they were being manipulated and it showed in their expressions, but Circe informed them, “Don’t worry, you may not speak until I allow you to do so again, but that is all I will impose on you, unless you give me reason to take my measures further.” The Paladin exchanged alarmed looks, Lotor seemed uneasy, while Atalanta was mildly amused. She had always loved it when Circe openly displayed her powers, it was such a rare treat. Circe went on. “If accused, anyone deserves a trial and the chance to explain himself. As far as I understand, Lotor was never given such a chance. Is that the way the Paladin of Voltron plan to bring justice and peace to the universe?” A small pause, to allow her words to sink in. “I would hope not.” Another pause. “Lotor, please.”  
  
 He turned to Circe and all he saw was warmth and encouragement. He was not happy that she had forced the Paladin into silence, but he realized that she was bestowing upon him an opportunity he might otherwise not be granted. Still he was hesitant. There had been no time to prepare for this.  
  
Allura felt her heart sinking. She hadn’t wanted to face their harsh reality so soon again and Circe’s words struck a cord inside of her. She was right. Lotor hadn’t had a chance to explain, but then also everything had happened so fast. Part of her was scared to hear what Lotor would have to say, yet she knew that they had to talk about it. Circe stood firmly on Lotor’s side and that gave her hope, although she couldn’t say why. She knew nothing about the woman after all. Suddenly she was glad that she couldn’t speak for now. Quietly she clasped Lotor’s hand with both of hers and smiled at the surprise in his face.  
  
It was the push that he needed and determined he began. “It is true, I have sacrificed Alteans, but it was for the sake of saving them. When I found surviving Alteans I desperately wanted to take them to a place where they would be safe from the Galra. I had found a way, but it demanded a price to pay. In order to keep the colony hidden and enable it to thrive, I needed amounts of Quintessence which I could not take from what I had to provide the empire with. It would’ve caused suspicion immediately.” His voice had become urgent and Lotor turned to Allura, taking her hands now in his, holding them against his breast. “Altean Quintessence is very powerful and by taking it from a few refugees of the colony I was able to save most of them. It allowed them to keep on living, to create a home for them that resembled Altea as much as possible.” Lotor squeezed Allura’s hands tighter and it pained him to see tears in her eyes. “I know I did a terrible thing, but I do not regret it, Allura. By sacrificing a few, I was able to save so many more. I never wanted to kill Alteans, but I had to make a choice.” He was pleading now. Not with the Paladin, but with Allura. All he needed was her to understand his motives. He hoped so badly with all his heart that she would be able to forgive him.  
  
Atalanta remarked, “That, indeed, does not classify as ‘genocide’. All you did was taking the life force of a small portion in order to ensure the survival of a larger group. That is the kind of decision leaders have to make.”  
  
Circe decided that it was a good moment to loosen the strings.  
  
Still Allura remained quiet for a few heartbeats. She couldn’t meet Lotor’s gaze. “But still you killed Alteans, Lotor. You took their life and there is nothing that we hold in higher esteem.” She forced herself to look up at him. “Did they know? Did you give them even a choice?”  
  
Lotor hung his head at her questions. Closing his eyes he whispered, “No, I didn’t. I know about Altean values and I knew that they wouldn’t have agreed to my plan. I was selfish.” He let go of Allura’s hands and she folded them in her lap, feeling torn. She wanted to see the good in Lotor, she knew it was there. But this was something she wasn’t sure how to deal with. All the years of her upbringing fought with Lotor’s arguments. She could see his point, but right now she was unable to put them above what she was raised to hold in greatest esteem and to protect as best she could.  
  
Being aware of what troubled Allura, Circe shared her thoughts. “It is as Atalanta said. You made a decision rulers and leaders are faced with, whether they like it or not. Someone who isn’t able to handle questions like these isn’t fit to rule.” She turned to Allura. “Princess. Tell me, what would you have done in Lotor’s situation?”  
  
Taken by surprise, Allura blurted out, “I don’t know. But I would not have sacrificed the life of anyone.”  
  
“Your words reveal just how young and inexperienced in leadership you are.” Atalanta leaned back in her chair, looking at Allura with a blank expression.  
  
Keith fumed, “What do you know? Do you have any idea what Allura lost because of the Galra, because of Lotor? He didn’t just use those Altean’s Quintessence to maintain the colony! He also used it for personal gain!”  
  
Atalanta was absolutely undisturbed. “Then I congratulate Lotor to his tactical skills. You should take him as an example and learn as much from him as possible, especially if you want to bring peace to the universe. Speaking of which, how exactly to you plan to go on about that?” Her tone became biting. “Did you even once take the natural law of balance into account? There is no giving without taking, no life without death. Idealism is for the young and for fools! Do yourself a favor and grow up!”  
  
Allura fired back at her. “My father believed in peace and harmony! He wanted to protect life above anything else! He lead by giving people an example of what a just and good person should be and he was loved and respected by his people!”  
  
“And where did it lead to in the end?” Atalanta had seen too much to be swayed. “Has none of you ever considered the how the circle goes? Each culture reaches its peak at some point, following its ideals. But ideals can never last, because when larger groups are concerned there is too much variety in what the individuals want and need. Compromises have to be made and the rulers are the ones who need to make the unwanted decisions which the common folks are not fit for. A ruler has to keep the bigger picture in mind and a good ruler will take the steps that need to be taken so that his people can keep growing and prosper.” She huffed in annoyance. “All cultures grow, reach their zenith and then start to crumble and another culture takes the lead, grows and falls. It never changes. Altea’s downfall was as inevitable as Aiaia’s.” The resignation in her voice left them all in silence. There was hardly any argument with what Atalanta had said.  
  
“What happened to Pat?” Lotor took the chance to finally ask the one question that had been burning inside of him.  
  
Circe assured him, “He is unharmed and well in the academy. Atalanta made sure of it, together with Elpis. You don’t need to worry about him.”  
  
“Who is Pat?” Allura inquired. Lotor seemed very concerned about that person. It was the first time she heard him express worry about an individual and she was curious to know more about this person.  
  
Smiling Circe answered her. “Pat is my young nephew. Lotor escorted him to the academy and was to make sure that he arrived there safe and sound and that everything with his admission would be alright.”  
  
Lotor felt a sting. “I owe you my apologies, Circe. I have failed both you and Pat and I am deeply sorry about it. It was never my intention to intervene with Pat’s future in the academy. Please forgive me.” Circe was saddened to see the sorrow in his features.  
  
She took his hand across the table. “There is nothing to forgive, Lotor. If anything, then it is me who has to ask your forgiveness.” She squeezed his hand. “I had sent you with the full awareness of the danger I was putting you into. Yes, we had talked about it and you agreed, but still.” Turning to Atalanta she went on. “Of course I knew of Zelus, but I was not aware of the labor camp he had built.”  
  
Atalanta heard the unasked question and sighed at the flicker of amber in Circe’s eyes. “There is still a chance for Patkardian to enter the ranks of the academy. His star didn’t rise yet, so it hasn’t fallen either. All is still possible.”  
  
Allura picked up where Circe had left. “How can educated and supposedly honorable members of your academy agree with this horrible camp?”  
  
“Agreeing with something and tolerating it are not the same, princess.” Atalanta would not let herself be scolded by what seemed like a young girl to her. “The Galra attack had decimated our numbers tremendously. Aiaia will never recover entirely from it, no matter how much effort we put into it.” Her frustration was obvious. “Besides right now we really have more pressing matter to concern ourselves with. The creatures of Aiaia are rising, one of our ancient Quintessence fountains has been opened and it’s all connected to the robot that is now scattered to pieces like an asteroid shower.” She scanned the Paladin for their reactions. “What do the Paladin of Voltron have to say to that?”  
  
“I have no idea what Quintessence fountain you are talking about, but the robot you are talking about belongs to Lotor. Why don’t you ask him?” Keith’s eyes were throwing daggers. Circe had loosened the reigns, but she was still holding them, to make sure that the young Paladin would keep their peace. At least for now.  
  
Atalanta turned to Lotor. “Well?”  
  
Lotor thought back to being in the rift, the pain, the madness and how it had taken over control of him. It was a darkness of its own kind and although he had no desire to face it again, he knew he had to, if he wanted to overcome it one day. “Before landing here I was in a rift and exposed to pure, unprocessed Quintessence. Physically it cannot truly cause me any damage, but it messed with my mind. I said and did horrible things.” Spitting out how he would get rid of the Galra, that he’d kill everyone, attacking Voltron, going back into the rift to recharge Sincline. He couldn’t say it out loud, but he was admitting to it internally and Circe was glad to be able to tell that he had begun to work through these events, although she didn’t know the details. “I was in the rift and must have lost consciousness at some point. When I opened my eyes the next time, I found myself here and saw Circe. I didn’t even know that Sincline, the robot you spoke of, was on Aiaia too. I fear that is all I can tell you.”  
  
“I see.” Atalanta knew that he was telling the truth. She wasn’t able to manipulate and feel Quintessence like Circe did, but she could tell that Lotor was being honest. “I wonder how it came that your robot, Sincline you say, landed on one of the other planets, while you came down here. But it probably doesn’t matter. What is of interest though is the fact that it caused an extreme reaction with our native Quintessence and ended in the explosion that delivered the final blow to Sincline.”  
  
“To be honest I hadn’t thought about what might have happened to Sincline since I landed here. It is probably for the better that it is destroyed now.” The relief was barely audible, but it was there.  
  
Lance spluttered out, “You bet that we would’ve taken care of Sincline! There’s no way that you could’ve outmatched Voltron!”  
  
Hunk followed everything with an uneasy feeling, Pidge felt like sitting on hot coals, but she didn’t dare to speak up. She wanted to get out of the Aiaia system as fast as possible, but couldn’t tell why. Keith hadn’t anticipated the mission to Aiaia to escalate like this and Allura’s emotion pulled her in opposite directions. Atalanta wanted to make sure that the creatures were back in check and Lotor... Circe looked at him, trying to figure out all the streams of his Quintessence. There were so many currents right now. She shook her head. This just wouldn’t do. Time was of the essence, but the Paladin needed either to work with them together, or they could leave Aiaia. But Circe was convinced that they would not leave without Lotor and there was no way that she would let them take him before their score was settled.  
  
“The past is in the past. We need to concern ourselves with the present right now.” Circe looked down on her hands. They were wrinkled and showed signs of age. She had fought so much in her life already and was weary to fight even more. “I will not have your fights in my home. They will not solve your problems. We all need to pull ourselves together. Besides you, the Paladin, have a decision to make.” Her gaze swept from one to the other, coming to a stop at Allura. “From what I heard from Atalanta your mission was to form an alliance with Aiaia. I am not sure how the council would answer to that, if you would return to the academy, in case you still wish for this alliance. That aside I would like to know if you will assist us with the issues we are facing right now. Aiaia is in uproar because the natural flow of our Quintessence is disturbed and we need to take care of that.” Keith wanted to say something, but Circe went on. “Before you decide, I think it is necessary for you to consult with each other. Much has happened in a short amount of time. But let me make one thing clear.” Even Atalanta looked up at the sharpness in Circe’s voice. “You are free to leave Aiaia at any point, no one will hold it against you, for this is not your fight. But Lotor will remain here, unless he wishes to go with you. He is under my protection and I will not allow you to take him with you against his will.”  
  
The Paladin’s surprise was visible on their faces. They hadn’t expected this, but Circe wasn’t the only one thinking of Lotor’s safety. Allura’s eyes hardened. “Like you protected him from Zelus? Surely he and his minions will come for Lotor at some point. What will you do then?”  
  
Circe didn’t want to show how pleased she was to hear Allura express her concern for Lotor. It was a good sign and gave her hope. “You are right, Zelus might come again, but he will meet me prepared. Zelus is no match for me. But anyways, for now the issue with the creatures of Aiaia going wild is much more eminent than a single Galra.”  
  
“Right.” Atalanta agreed. “So, we will leave you Paladin to yourselves. Lotor, there is someone Circe and I think you should meet. Let’s go for a walk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I'm not so happy with this chapter. Writing with all the characters being present is a real challenge for me. I'm learning a lot in the process though, so I hope you'll bear with me!
> 
> RL was a bit crazy the past week, so this update is shorter than I intended. I want to finish the fic definitely before season 7 gets out (oh my nerves!).
> 
> Besides I'd like to thank everyone who is so kind to leave a kudo, or even comment! I really appreciate every single reaction and they help to keep up my motivation.


	13. Amends

They were walking into the forest behind Circe’s house. Together with Atalanta she was leading the way and Lotor followed behind. None of them spoke and memories of the recent events filled Lotor’s mind.   
  
Allura. He hadn’t wanted to leave her with the Paladin, for he knew what they would say. They were all too predictable in their actions and raised their voices too rash. Of course they had helped to get him out of the labor camp, but Lotor wasn’t fool enough to believe that it was really him they wanted to aid.  
  
Allura always seemed to be able to draw forth the best in others. She was so pure. That’s why he hadn’t told her about the colony. He knew she would neither understand nor approve, but had hoped that with time she would grow and come to accept the sacrifices leadership sometimes demands. Lotor still hoped deep down that she would.  
  
Before Circe he had never explained his motives. He didn’t have to give reasons to anyone and as long as Zarkon was supplied with sufficient amounts of Quintessence he wouldn’t bother with Lotor, which suited him just fine.  
  
Lotor was surprised to see how ardent Circe defended him in front of the Paladin. She had expressed her understanding of his decisions before, but only then had he realized how serious she had been. It warmed his heart and made him wonder if that was what it felt like to be loved by a mother.  
  
Atalanta was an entirely different case. He knew that she was fierce and strong. Circe was too, but Atalanta’s power came from another source, it was more raw, had more bite. Lotor would’ve loved to see her fighting skills, for he was sure that her sword would cut as quickly as her words.  
  
They stopped at a clearing and Lotor admired the marble columns that stood at the opposite end of it. There were no visible borders, but he could tell that it wouldn’t be wise to step beyond these columns. Circe had never elaborated on the borders that she had spoken of, but his instincts told him that here was the threshold. A slight breeze went through the trees and Lotor sensed a powerful being drawing nearer from the other side. First he heard the hooves, striding confidently over the forest floor, then he saw what Pat had described as a centaur, a creature half human, half horse. He had seen too many different types of species in his life to be surprised, but he had to admit that he was intrigued.  
  
Circe had revealed that they were able to corrupt the stars and Lotor wondered how they achieved such a feat. Pat told him once about their strength and now he felt an enormous potential reaching out to him. It wasn’t assaulting, but it demanded answers, to which Lotor wanted to know the questions first.  
  
Chiron took in the Galra’s depth and was pleased to find an equal. The centaur had neither expected Lotor’s age, nor his strength, but he was too wise to show his surprise. When he sensed Lotor’s guards coming up he had already found what he was looking for. Yes, Chiron thought to himself, that would do. He gave Circe a small, almost invisible nod. But Lotor caught it.  
  
All at once he was on alert, a thousand thoughts running through his mind at once, suspecting to be betrayed and handed over yet again. Lowering his head a slight bit he glowered at the centaur, having no intention of making this easy for anyone. He extended his claws.  
  
Circe immediately caught the rush of Lotor’s Quintessence and calmed him down. “Lotor, do not worry. There is no plot planned against you. This is Chiron, we share the same interests and are in need of your assistance.” She stepped in front of him, facing him head on.  
  
Lotor looked down at her, his expression stern and serious. He wanted to believe her words. Circe had never given him a reason not to have faith in her, so he retracted his claws, but stayed vigilant. “Tell me all I need to know.”

  
“If it agrees with you, emperor Lotor, then I would like to offer my explanations, since Circe guided you here upon my request.” Chiron’s voice was deep and resonant. Lotor looked in his eyes and Chiron gave him a glimpse of his age. Lotor felt suddenly like gliding through time and space, floating among constellations, weightless, without effort. Everything seemed full and empty at the same time until a purpose visualized itself, but Lotor couldn’t get a hold of it. Like quicksilver it kept sliding through his fingers.  
  
“I see.” Chiron’s thoughtful words brought Lotor back and he felt slightly dazed for a moment.  
  
Not understanding what was going on put Lotor on edge, so he pressed out, “Among your kind this might be considered an appropriate communication, but I fear that I would prefer a more verbal elucidation of the matter at hand.”  
  
Unfazed Chiron spoke, “The Quintessence that reached Aiaia through your robot has caused an imbalance in the flow of our native Quintessence. Your robot is in ruins and all its Quintessence was absorbed into our soil, polluting our environment.” There was no accusation in his tone, only seriousness and determination. “We can not get a hold of this particular type of Quintessence. First we need a considerate amount of the same, or at least a familiar, type of Quintessence to act as a conductor.”  
  
Lotor understood at once. “And the source of that Quintessence would be myself.”  
  
“So it is.”  
  
“What else?”  
  
“If you agree to help us, you might not survive it.”  
  
Lotor thought of the Alteans on the second colony. How he had taken their life force to enable others to survive and thrive. He had ensured that they were not killed in the process, but they were also not alive anymore. Efforts had been made to try and find a way to restore them to their former selves, but without satisfying results, so the Alteans remained in a state of conservation, although he still had hope left to be able to revive them someday. Allura might have been the key, but now he would probably never find out.  
  
Perfectly composed he asked, “Is it sure to work?”  
  
Circe stepped in. “It is hard to tell if we would be able to capture all the alien Quintessence, but a simple experiment looked rather promising.” Seeing Lotor’s question she went on, “Remember that I had to cleanse your Quintessence when you were unconscious. I needed purified Aiaian Quintessence in order to be able to achieve that, as well as Quintessence from one of our ancient fountains. At that time I was able to extract the alien Quintessence and preserve it.” She gave Lotor a small smile. “Maybe I should have told you about it, but it didn’t seem important at that time.” With a sigh she went on. “I told you that Aiaian Quintessence and the one you were overwhelmed with were neutralizing each other, but it seems that that was only partly true, for the amount flowing from your robot Sincline into our system is upsetting our system.”  
  
“Not only that.” Atalanta threw in. “Both people and creatures have already begun to suffer from the consequences and are falling sick and we are not able to find a cure. Plants are withering, crops aren’t growing. Aiaia will face its final days if we don’t act swiftly.” Atalanta wasn’t cruel, but she had made her point clear. “Circe was able to use the small amount of your Quintessence to siphon more of the alien Quintessence, but in that process it loses all its power and becomes useless. We need another source for more of the, why not call it, Sincline-Quintessence.”  
  
“Emperor Lotor, I would like you to understand that we are not Galra.” Chiron emphasized. “We do not take life as we please and we will not force you to oblige. You do have a choice, but you need to make it now.”  
  
There was no knowing if Lotor’s Quintessence would help and everyone was aware of that, but it was the only shot they had. Circe’s heart was heavy. She had tried everything in her power to withdraw the Sincline-Quintessence and had failed time and again. Atalanta had scouted for the source of the imbalance for longer than she had liked and when she had found the robot all its Quintessence had already flown away. Chiron kept the younger centaurs at bay, calling them back into line and reminding them that now it was necessary to work together with the people of Aiaia, instead of fighting them, if they all wanted to survive.  
  
Just this morning Lotor had woken up with Allura in his arms and could almost not believe that it was really her, that he was alive, that she had saved him. He had pulled her even closer to him, burying his face in her luscious hair, taking in her scent and following the curves of her body with his fingers. When she opened her eyes they had had the sweetest expression and he devoured her with a hungry kiss that quickly escalated into much more.  
  
Now he was facing his potential death. There was no decision to make for him, it was clear from the start what he would do.  
  
Lotor had always wondered what death would feel like, how it would come to him. He had lived for over ten thousand years and Galra were constantly expanding their life span, using Quintessence. Sometimes he had felt weary and sick of it all, but then he had found the Altean log and with it his ultimate life purpose. It had kept him going. Then there was the colony and with it came the true desire to bring peace to the universe. He was confident that he could achieve it, that he could make it happen. In Allura he first saw a key and then she had become the world he wanted to unlock itself. It was something he hadn’t anticipated. He had kept marveling at it until she had thrown him across the ship. It was something he could’ve easily gotten over, but then she had compared him to his producer and that was the worst she could’ve done to him. She, whom he had opened up and given his heart to. Allura should’ve known so much better. But then so should have his generals, Haggar, Zarkon, Sendak, Throk... At one point or another they had all been wrong about him. Even the Alteans he had kept save on the colony. No one knew all of him. There was always some part of himself, that Lotor had to hide in order to keep going. Enough. After more than ten thousand years it was finally enough.  
  
Now he had the chance to make amends and he would.


	14. True and Good

The sun was setting. In silence Circe and Atalanta returned, but her house was far from being quiet. The Paladin were audibly still in a heated discussion about how to proceed. As they came closer Circe saw Allura stomping out of the house and walking straight towards the river. She only needed to look at Atalanta and both knew which turn to take. Atalanta went to join the Paladin, Circe followed Allura.  
  
She had sat down by the riverside. The princess’ inner turmoil was visible. When she heard someone approaching, she turned around with a hopeful “Lotor?” on her lips?  
  
“I fear I am not the one you are longing for, but I hope to be able to ease some of your worries nonetheless.” Circe replied friendly to the disappointed look on Allura’s face, which turned quickly back to concern.  
  
“Where is Lotor?”  
  
Circe didn’t want to tell Allura everything yet. Nothing was certain for now and she had her mind set on turning the stars to everyone’s favor. They had been descending for too long, it was time to rise again. Carefully she explained, “He is gone on a mission for Aiaia. I’m sorry that Atalanta and I didn’t explain about it earlier, but with Lotor’s full support the assistance of the Paladin is no longer required.”  
  
Allura didn’t like the sound of that. “When will he be back?”  
  
“We honestly don’t know. Should the only surviving ruler of Altea not have greater things to worry about than the life of a single Galra?” Circe wanted to see where she could take Allura, she was testing her reactions, which came promptly.  
  
Fiercely Allura told the elderly woman, “Lotor is not just any Galra! He is the rightful emperor of the Galra empire and he needs to return! The whole universe is in uproar since he disappeared, civil war is splitting the Galra in two! Voltron was able to keep their forces at bay, but we can’t pacify them. Lotor needs to return, we need him back!” Allura’s throat had become thick and tears welled up in her eyes. She had realized what a disaster it had caused to attack Lotor and how utterly Voltron had failed its purpose to bring peace to the universe.  
  
While they had been working together with Lotor, that peace had been palpable for the first time in her life. Yes, at that time too some Galra fractions were fighting and not accepting Lotor as the emperor, but now it was so much worse. Sendak had made himself emperor, but since there was no evidence of Lotor being truly dead the Galra were even more severely at each other’s throats and even more ruthless in their conquering missions throughout the universes. It was physically impossible for Voltron to be at all the fronts at the same time and Sendak exploited that recklessly. Haggar was still gone, they had found no trace of her and that worried Allura greatly. There was just no telling what that witch was up to.  
  
Lotor needed to return to rule the Galra back in. Part of her wanted him to be back for herself, but then her consciousness also kept reminding her of what the Alteans from the colony had said to her.

* * *

  
  
The colony had established a council, which held its meetings in public, since they believed that everyone had a right to know about how the decisions that were being made on behalf of all of them, came to be. The Alteans could hardly believe it when Allura came, they had thought that they were the only survivors by now.  
  
Together with Romelle and the Paladin she explained about the second colony and what Lotor had done to them. The reaction she got from the council members was not what she had expected at all.  
  
One of the older men of the council spoke to her, “Princess Allura, we rejoice to see you are well and alive and welcome you as our true ruler. What you have told us is disturbing indeed.” He raised himself, holding on to a rod, facing all the present Alteans in the forum. No one wanted to miss this gathering. “But first and foremost Lotor is our savior. Without him, we all might be dead by now. You accuse him of great crimes, but there is hardly any evidence of them so far. We need to hear what Lotor has to say to all of this.”  
  
A younger, female Altean raised her voice. She looked about the same age as Allura. “One of my cousins was taken to the colony and he was excited to leave. Some people from the family were sad, but the chosen ones for the second colony were always glad to go, for they knew that they would serve us a great purpose. It is true that we were always left in the shadows about the meaning of that. Thinking that they have all given their lives for us is terrible. Yet, I can’t believe that it is as simple as you say. If Lotor was only after our Quintessence, then why bother to keep most of us alive?”  
  
Another male Altean added, “Besides, and I am speaking with all due respect princess, but you should be careful with what Romelle says about Lotor.” He was also a rather young Altean, fixing Romelle with a stern look. “Everyone here knows her story, because she once made a great fool of herself during one of Lotor’s rare visits. Did she also tell you about that?”  
  
Allura looked in confusion at Romelle, who defiantly spat out, “That is hardly the issue right now! Lotor has killed our brothers and sisters! He lied to us about the second colony! He–“  
  
“Enough Romellle!” the older council member cut her off. “We will not condemn Lotor until there is proof and even then we will need to hear him out first. He risked his own life for all of us, he kept us alive, he enabled us to grow and prosper.” His eyes scanned the crowd. “We are Alteans and we value the lives of others. But running and hiding from the Galra has also taught those, who lived through the end of Altea, that we also do value our own lives. Of course not above that of others, but then there is always a price to pay, nothing comes for free. We have been wondering for a long time how Lotor achieved the feat of keeping us hidden without Zarkon noticing.” Murmurs went through the forum, people were nodding their agreement. “Look at all the young and promising children of our colony and let’s ask ourselves honestly: Would we rather have died a long time ago, not ever seeing them born and grow? Would we have preferred to keep our true selves hidden in the shadows, where Lotor found us? Or would we maybe even have agreed to giving the life force of a few, if it meant to save so many more, to keep the Altean culture alive and growing?” No voices were raised, everyone seemed deep in thought.  
  
The young male from before took courage, facing the crowd. “Let’s be honest it is a choice we don’t want to make and so I think it is for the better that Lotor took it upon him to decide for us. But still right now we don’t even know what exactly happened to those on the second colony. Let’s hope Lotor will return and tell us what is truly going on.”  
  
Allura could hardly believe it. She was sure that they would condemn Lotor instantly, just like she had done. But then, what was the story about Romelle? Had she been wrong to trust her immediately, just because she was another Altean?  
  
Later she had the chance to talk to the old man from the council in quiet and he told her that Romelle had publicly declared her undying love to Lotor once, right in the middle of the forum for everyone to hear and see. Lotor had taken it with grace, but also most politely turned her down. Still Romelle would not let go of it and in the end even threw herself at him, begging Lotor to take her with him. The whole scene must have been terribly embarrassing and everyone just wanted to forget about it, but obviously Romelle was deeply hurt and never forgave Lotor for refusing her. After that incident she had started to spread silly rumors about Lotor. No one took it serious, since they knew that the source was merely Romelle’s hurt pride. So now it was difficult for them to side with her and believe her story, even with the support of Allura and the Paladin.  
  
The Alteans of the colony didn’t want to believe that Lotor had evil intentions, they wanted to see the good in him. It made Allura wonder if she had overreacted back then. Before she had time to gather her wits, he had been gone in the rift and then they were faced with so much more than they had ever anticipated.  
  
Talking with the council members made Allura realize that she still had a long way to go, if she wanted to become a true and good ruler.

* * *

  
Circe studied Allura while the princess was lost in her memories. The strongest current in her Quintessence was sadness and a hint of desperation was underneath all of it. “Tell me, princess, what happened before Lotor went into the rift.”  
  
At first Allura raised her eyes, wide in surprise at the unexpected question, only to avert them in the next moment. Allura wished with all her heart that things had gone differently, but there was no changing what was done. Heavily she began, “Lotor and I had just returned from the rift, after successfully harvesting Quintessence. It had been such an intense experience, in all my life I had never felt like that before and it was all thanks to Lotor.” She drew her legs up, resting her forehead on her knees. Allura closed her eyes at the memory and a smile so bittersweet appeared on her lips. “Right after our return we were faced with Romelle and told about the Altean colony. I was shocked, still full of the Quintessence from the rift and all I registered was that Lotor had killed Alteans and harvested their Quintessence for his own purposes. I didn’t think at all! I just… I just grabbed him and threw him across the floor, chaos broke out, suddenly Lotor was gone and the next thing I knew is that we were facing him again in our ships and I opened fire at him, even though he had told his generals not to shoot at us.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks now and Circe drew her arm around Allura’s shoulders.  
  
It was always the same with Quintessence, always pushing energies to their poles, always disturbing balance. No one was save from that effect, Circe understood that all too well. “You reacted in the heat of the moment and that is part of who you are.” She told the cowering princess. “Besides you were under the influence of Quintessence and that also needs to be taken into account, as well as the fact that you lost your home planet to the Galra and it must’ve been hard for you to overcome your conception of that race and to accept Lotor and form an alliance with him. It takes a lot to truly move on from such things.”  
  
Weary Allura raised her head. She felt incredibly tired all of a sudden and Circe sensed it, so she took Allura back to the house, assuming that in the meantime Atalanta had talked some sense into the Paladin.  
  
Which of course she had. Entering through the kitchen Circe saw the Paladin rather subdued. Keith and Lance were brooding by the fire, Pidge and Hunk sat at the table with worried expressions. Atalanta stood by the window, keeping an eye on all of them. When Circe and Allura came in she announced, “So here is what is going to happen.” All eyes fixed on Atalanta. “The princess and the Paladin will return with me to the academy to reclaim her Lion. Your mission will not be considered a failure, but due to the circumstances on Aiaia we see ourselves not in a position to join forces with Voltron, since we need to sort out our current affairs first. You will leave Aiaia and are free to go where you please.” There was no question being asked, no request being made.  
  
Allura cried out, “But what about Lotor? He needs to come with us, we can’t leave without him!”  
  
“Allura!” Keith barked at her. “We need to get back to earth to finally see the Castle of Lions reconstructed. Coran and Shiro are waiting for us, we should’ve rejoined them long ago. Without the castle we can’t keep going any longer.”  
  
As much as Allura disliked to admit it, Keith was right. She had a responsibility and couldn’t only think of her selfish wish to get Lotor back. Because if she was honest, then first of all she wanted him to be back for herself. How she longed for his embrace, his strong arms. When they wrapped around her she felt like all was well in the universe. But of course that was just an illusion. They had to face reality and start to clean up the mess they had caused step by step. Next was the Castle of Lions. It had taken what felt like an eternity to get it done and now they were in the last phase of finishing it.  
  
Turning to Circe, Allura promised, “I will be back as soon as possible and hope you will be able to restore balance on Aiaia. Please keep Lotor safe, we need him too.”  
  
The plea in Allura’s eyes was tugging at Circe’s heartstrings and she couldn’t bring it over her to tell her, that maybe Lotor might not be alive anymore when she returned. But there was no point in telling her now, for it would only upset the princess, so Circe simply assured her, “I will do all in my power to keep him well, that I promise you.” And Circe was determined that she would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to leave you hanging at this point, but life is keeping me more busy than I'm happy with this weekend, so I couldn't write the next chapter yet. Just keep it mind that this is a fix-it-fic ^^


	15. Sources

Chiron led Lotor deeper into the forest. He didn’t like to carry others on his back, but the way ahead of them was long and troublesome. “I am not fond of being used like a horse, but if you like, emperor Lotor, then you may get on my back. I would only ask you not to tighten your legs and to hold on to my waist, for I’d make sure that you wouldn’t fall off.”  
  
Lotor raised his gaze to the centaur, who was about one head’s length above his own. “You are a truly magnificent being and I do not wish you to lower yourself on my behalf. Trust me, I won’t slow you down. You shall find in me an enduring travel companion.”  
  
The centaur appreciated the confidence and although Lotor still showed signs from his time at the labor camp, he was sure that the emperor’s determination would make up for any physical shortcomings. “Then let’s keep going. We have a long way ahead of us. Soon we will have to stop for the night.”  
  
So they went on until dusk. Lotor had set up a fire while Chiron took out dried meat, fruits and bread from the bag he had slung around his shoulder. He passed Lotor a flask with water, then settled down next to the fire and spread out the food. Lotor leaned back against a fallen tree, wondering himself how it was that he felt so relaxed, while he kept walking closer to his likely death.   
  
He admired the stars above them, when Chiron inquired, “What do you see?”  
  
For a moment Lotor thought about it until he replied, “The light of planets that have probably died a long time ago, points of navigation, … endless beauty.” He turned to Chiron. “What do centaurs see?”  
  
“Stories of the past, present potential and future possibilities. Some more clearly than others.”   
  
While he spoke Chiron’s eyes never left the stars and Lotor didn’t doubt a single word. There was no desire to ask about his own fate. He wanted to take this one step at a time. Now he was at ease and appreciated the firmament, pushing aside all thoughts of Allura, what he had done in his past and what tomorrow might bring. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air of the forest, listening to the sounds of the animals stalking in the night. Chiron didn’t seem concerned, so Lotor trusted them to be safe.  
  
After a while Chiron reached once again in his bag, taking out a small vial and handed it to Lotor. “Drink it. It will restore part of your physical power and help you to sleep more peacefully.”  
  
“Thank you.” Reaching over Lotor took it and drank it in one gulp. It tasted surprisingly sweet and a pleasant warmth spread through his body. Lotor felt himself getting drowsy and leaned back his head. Images of Allura smiling up at him went through his mind as he drifted off into sleep, with a smile on his lips.  
  
On the next morning they rose before sunrise and were on their way again. Lotor took in all the scenery, the flora and fauna of Aiaia. All the plants and trees looked foreign to him, stirring his curiosity. If he had come under more fortunate circumstances he’d have asked Chiron question after question and would’ve found a gifted teacher.  
  
By noon they had started to descend into a valley and decided to stop by a small stream to refresh.  
  
After a deep pull of water Lotor inquired, “Is it much farther?”  
  
“Before nightfall we will arrive at our destination.”  
  
Lotor only nodded and Chiron noticed that again no questions came forward. “Have you given up on life already?” As usual his tone was plain, without judgment. He wanted honest answers.  
  
It caught Lotor off guard. “I am ready to do whatever is necessary to bring back the balance which my arrival on Aiaia has upset. From what you and Circe said, I understood that I might have to pay with my life. If that should be the case, then so be it.”  
  
“That is no answer to the question I asked.”  
  
Lotor gave a weary smile. “Indeed it isn’t.”  
  
The centaur felt that more was to come and stood patiently. As far as possible Lotor followed the flow of the stream with his eyes. Eventually he spoke again. “Right before coming to your system I was as close as never before to achieving my ultimate goal in life, just to lose it all a heartbeat later. I’m sure you understand that after living for millennia one needs a true purpose in life to feel the desire to keep going, without knowing how many more millennia might or might not follow. At this very moment helping to restore Aiaia as much as possible is my purpose.” Lotor let his eyes drift, beholding as much of their surroundings as he could, trying to imagine everything to be more vibrant, more alive.  
  
Chiron hummed noncommittally. “If that is the case, then let’s not linger any longer.” Since then the centaur had set a brisk pace, but Lotor kept up without effort. The draught from the night before had fulfilled its use and just as predicted they arrived before nightfall.  
  
They had kept following the stream downward, all the way into the valley and were walking through grass until suddenly they left the forest and stood in front of what once must have been lush fields, but now they looked barren. Behind those were the ruins of ancient temple buildings. Passing through, heading towards the center, their monumentality reminded Lotor of Oriande, yet it was entirely different. The white marble of the columns and buildings had lost its luster, the colors of the painted sculptures had faded and peeled off, but the excellent craftsmanship was still visible everywhere.  
  
A circular building in the heart of the area dominated it all. Out of all the buildings this was the most intact, only a few of the surrounding columns showed cracks, some were broken in half. Without hesitation, but with great force, Chiron pushed open the massive double doors and went inside. For the blink of an eye Lotor stood before he followed into the entirely black interior.  
  
To the right Chiron lit up a single torch, which made all others come to life in quick succession and the rotunda was lit. In the center of the room stood a massive altar. Chiron went to stand next to it and turned to Lotor. It wasn’t necessary to express with words what Lotor was supposed to do. He went up to the centaur, but before he could lower himself on the altar, Chiron spoke, “You have not asked about what is to happen and although you might not want to know I would like to share some insights.” Polite as ever he waited for the emperor’s approval. The clenching of Lotor’s fists did not escape him, but the nod was all he needed. He was not offended that Lotor kept staring straight on the flat surface of the altar. It was an excellent starting point. “What you see was once one of Aiaia’s greatest sources of power. Only the highest sacrifices were made here, supplying our entire system with the purest form of energy.”  
  
“How does it work?” Finally the spark Chiron had been hoping for from Lotor. Where there was curiosity, there was a will. He had not given up after all. _Good_.  
  
“Ancient magic is involved and it is beyond me to explain their deeper workings, but as you lay on the altar your life energy will be absorbed. In the core of the altar it will be purified and from there on transmitted into our system. With its elevated power-level it should easily react with the foreign Quintessence rather swiftly and neutralize it. The problem is that there is no telling how long, nor how much of your life force it will take to achieve that effect.”  
  
“And there is no certainty if it will work at all.” Lotor made that statement while still keeping his gaze fixed ahead of him.  
  
“Emperor Lotor.” The demanding tone was new and Lotor became alert, facing Chiron head on. “What is your source?”  
  
Closing his eyes Lotor thought back to all the times he told himself what he kept going for. At first he had wanted to please his father, then he wanted to find out as much as possible about his Altean heritage. Once he had found surviving Alteans the question didn’t occur to him anymore. But at this very moment he felt as weary as never before. The short time with Allura felt like a dream and he was sure that once she awoke, she would still hate and despise him. Pat and Circe came to his mind, but he thought that giving all his life force might probably be the greatest service he could do them, as well as the entire Aiaia system.  
  
With sinking shoulders he admitted, “At this point there is no source.”  
  
“I see.” Chiron gave him a thoughtful look. His instincts stirred. “Let’s take another night’s rest.” Without waiting for Lotor he left the sanctum, but stopped once he had stepped outside and looked up. Night had fallen and all was dark, except for the stars and Aiaia’s three blue moons. Tomorrow they would be full. Their brilliance was magnificent and Chiron felt a strong pull. He didn’t try to resist it and gave in immediately, craving the knowledge of the stars, longing to become one with them. It was their habit to share their wisdom only after sufficient trial, but this time the images came to the centaur effortlessly.  
  
Long, billowing white hair. Similar to that of the emperor, but different. It belonged to a woman sitting in a field of purple, foreign flowers, with her back to Chiron. Then the vision changed, he only saw her face now, contorted in pain, sweat glistening on her forehead. She was obviously in great pain, but it was impossible to make out the reason. The woman kept panting, relaxed a little and then her face turned into a mask of agony again, until it was flooded with immense relief. A high cry cut through the air, she smiled and tears welled up in her eyes. In the next moment he saw a baby with lavender skin and white tufts of hair being cradled and held by two large, clawed hands, sleeping soundly.  
  
Chiron turned his head to find Lotor standing next to him. What source was more fit for life, than life itself?


	16. Forecast

Atalanta watched the Paladin’s departure from the academy’s watchtower and when they were out of sight, she went to join the council meeting. On her way there she remembered how all the halls were once filled with the chatter of eager novices and seniors and from the training grounds the shouts and grunts never seemed to tune down.  
  
Now the academy was a mere shell of its former self. They had lost their flesh in the attempt to fill the voids. Zelus and his camp were the best proof of that. Instead of restoring part of their glory, they had distanced themselves farther from it. It had to stop, but Atalanta knew that it wasn’t as simple as that. With Circe the academy had lost its wisest and most powerful member. Everyone had once listened and looked up to her. When she left during most dire times not only members of the academy, but especially all inhabitants of the main planet felt betrayed. Circe wasn’t supposed to have any weaknesses.  
  
_What fools_ , Atalanta thought. But then, Circe wouldn’t usually show her vulnerable side to the public. Only those closest to her were granted that and Atalanta thought fondly of the times when she and Circe were still younger and sometimes after a failed experiment Circe would come to her both to vent off and to lean on.  
  
When Circe left, Atalanta was hurt and in pain on more levels than she thought she would be able to handle, but she did, just like Circe had foretold. First she had fought the Galra and then she kept fighting in the council. A sigh escaped her at the thought. Atalanta had always preferred a battle of blades rather than words. It was pure irony that she became the academy’s representative of the military faculty for being the most skilled fighter, since that position was mostly bureaucratical. But she made sure to stay in shape and was still both respected and feared for her skills with the sword, which now and then was helpful when the council came together.  
  
Today was one of those days, so she tilted up her chin, squared her shoulders and with intensity in her eyes she entered the council hall, where the others had already gathered. In theory they were all equals within the council, yet some held more power than others and liked to make a show of it.   
  
Zelus never failed to flex his muscles. “My dear Atalanta, how generous of you to finally grace us with your most honorable presence! I trust the Paladin and princess Allura were sent off in good health and spirits?”  
  
“My dear fellow Zelus, but of course they were. It is quite a pity that you were unable to see them off yourself, since you showed such hospitality to princess Allura before. I wonder what she thought of your little experiment site.” Atalanta wasn’t even trying to hide the acid with her smile and the other council members shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.  
  
“I am very sorry to say that something had kept me urgently on my lands.” Never short of an excuse, Zelus swiftly countered. “Which is why I am curious to hear what has happened to little Patkardian during my absence. We also still need to decide upon what to do with Circe and how to–“  
  
“That will do, Zelus.” Elpis cut in. “We all know better than to challenge Circe. About Patkardian I have devastating news for everyone.”  
  
At that Zelus raised his eyebrows. Elpis wasn’t one of their more vigorous members and usually wouldn’t dare to interrupt him. Zelus didn’t like the shift in attitude, but listened carefully. “Well?”  
  
“While you took princess Allura to your lands and Atalanta was on a mission to find out what caused the recent imbalance in the flow of our Quintessence, I had been charged with overseeing Patkardian. One night he escaped the guards and took off with Circe’s space dagger. Of course we pursued him immediately and I can only suppose that his insufficient knowledge of piloting had caused him to suddenly lose control of the ship and crash it into an asteroid out in space. The space dagger was in pieces and the explosion must have burnt every living fiber to ashes, for we couldn’t find any traces of Patkardian.”  
  
Elpis stared intensely at Atalanta. On the outside she kept her cool demeanor and only she knew what was going through her mind.  
  
One of the other council members spoke. “It is a great loss. Circe’s blood will die one day with her. Her nephew had shown promising potential, alas his star was not meant to rise in our ranks.” Looking at Elpis he went on, “I am sure you did your best in trying to guard and guide him back, Elpis. We all know how devoted and truthful you are. I think we will all agree that no judgment shall be passed on you.”  
  
Zelus kept quiet, which was agreement enough coming from him in this case, while the others expressed their accord vocally.  
  
It was time for Atalanta to report about her mission. Grimly she told them about how she found Sincline, the loss of soldiers and how she came across the Paladin and Allura there. While holding Zelus gaze she went on, “The Paladin were familiar with the robot and had called for the princess, which is why she too was there. They shared all they knew about the robot and the source of its Quintessence with me and Circe.” All heads turned towards her at once. “Yes, you all have heard correctly. Circe was there too. Of course, she would immediately try to figure out what disrupted the flow and balance of our Quintessence and find a way to set it right.”  
  
Zelus fumed upon hearing those words. He was sure that part of what Atalanta said was a lie, but he also couldn’t tell exactly what the princess had shared with her, so he didn’t know how to play his cards and decided to stay low for now.  
  
A woman from the faculty of sciences raised her voice. “So what is the current status quo?”  
  
Atalanta finished her report. “Circe has joined forces with the centaurs to neutralize the foreign Quintessence, which is causing the irregularities in our system. They might already be at Omphalos to perform the necessary ritual as we speak.”  
  
Elpis wasn’t surprised to hear about that, but the other members of the council were taken aback. “She is collaborating with the creatures?” “What is she thinking?” “How could the centaurs help? They might be plotting to take us down!” “Don’t trust the creatures, they are vile savages!”  
  
Atalanta closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “SILENCE!” The uproar died down with immediate effect. “Aiaia was prospering when people and creatures worked together. Circe never sided with the prejudices that followed the attack, she was always a firm believer in equality and respect for all species.” She gave the others a stern look. “She deems it necessary for people and creatures to work together in this and it already is happening. Besides do I really need to remind you that only the centaurs were ever able to fully unleash the power of Omphalos?” Atalanta paused merely to let it sink in, to let it sting more. “Our duty is to protect Aiaia and we should always put that first and foremost. Circe has a solution, which is more than we came forth with. The least we can do is not to interfere with her actions right now.”  
  
No arguments followed and Atalanta left the hall wordlessly, heading towards the gymnasium.  


* * *

  
Elpis looked up from the book he was reading by the fire when Atalanta walked in, as usual without waiting to be announced. He smiled to himself. Some things never changed. It had only been a matter of time for her to show up, both knew it and were aware that they still had to be careful. Most academy members were not in favor of Circe and the walls sometimes had eyes and ears, no matter where one walked.  
  
Without preamble Atalanta helped herself to a glass of wine and settled down on the opposite side of Elpis by the fire. He smiled at her, but her expression was guarded. Casually he opened the conversation, “Did you look into the stars today?” On Aiaia it was like asking about the weather and Atalanta raised her eyebrow. Elpis knew better than to bother her with trivialities.  
  
She sighed and let her fatigue show. “A young star has fallen, while the old ones keep trying to illuminate the darkness with their weary light.”  
  
“While old stars tend to keep going straight ahead, young ones might still surprise in unexpected ways. One who never learned to follow a straight road will naturally take a more roundabout way and thus resurface when it is least anticipated.”  
  
Taking a sip of her wine, Atalanta looked into the flames and held back a smile. Elpis had always been her most trusted confidante along with Circe and again he had not let them down. “The moons are full and bright tonight. No clouds diminish their light. It’s a good omen.”  
  
“Yes, indeed. Times are troublesome, but we should keep our hopes and spirits high.”  
  
Raising her glass, Atalanta agreed. “A toast to that!”  


* * *

  
  
Chiron led Lotor back into the forest, walking confidently through the darkness until they came to a small clearing. “I hope, emperor Lotor, you won’t mind my preference for sleeping under the stars rather than under a roof.”  
  
“Not at all! In fact I share your preference.” Lotor found the meadow more comfortable than the atmosphere among the ruins.  
  
Chiron took out another vial and held it up in front of Lotor. “A dream can be more true than any reality we know and what we see can have more impact than an entire past.”  
  
Lotor felt a shiver running up his spine and turned his face from the centaur to the vial in his hand. He pondered about the words for a little, then took the flask, uncorked it and emptied it in one gulp.  
  
They settled down, Chiron in the middle of the clearing, gazing up at the stars, while Lotor chose to rest under a tree, using one of the roots coming out as a pillow. Closing his eyes he drifted off.  
  
The next time he opened them he was back in Circe’s house and the sun was high up in the sky. At first Lotor felt slightly dizzy and disoriented after he sat up. A careless laughter echoed through the open window from outside and he thought hearing Pat talking to someone. Determined he swung his legs out of bed, dressed himself and went down to the kitchen, where he found Circe sure enough over her herbs at the table.  
  
She smiled fondly at him. “My my, one would think that you are the one carrying a heavy burden all day long. We were wondering when you’d finally wake up. Today might finally be the day!”  
  
Before Lotor could reply to that, the door flung open and Pat came storming in, his face pale white. “Aunt Circe!” He seemed in a panic and Lotor felt as if all his life force was drained at once. “Aunt Circe! It’s Allura, I think she’s–“ Lotor didn’t wait for Pat to finish his sentence, but dashed out immediately, finding Allura lying in the grass, grasping her voluminous belly with a contorted face. Time froze for a few heartbeats while Lotor tried to understand what was going on. He sank down on his knees next to her, gently putting on hand on her back and the other over her hand on her belly. “Allura?” It was all he could say.  
  
She looked at him and her expression eased. Smiling she said, “I think our child has finally decided that it’s time to face the universe.”  
  
Suddenly Lotor felt like he was falling, he panicked again and wanted desperately to hold on to something, flailing his arms wildly when he jerked awake, finding himself still in the meadow with Chiron, who looked sound asleep. The stars were still up and the sun had not yet begun to rise. He took a deep gulp from the water flask to calm down. The dream was still vivid in his mind and left him feeling restless. Aimlessly he started walking toward the temple buildings again.  
  
Over and over he replayed the dream in his memory. _It couldn’t be, could it?_ Lotor also recalled what Chiron had said to him just before they went to sleep. Technically it was possible that Allura was carrying his child. It might even have happened in the rift, although he couldn’t be sure because he had no concept of how much time had passed since then. But it could also have happened just recently. _But it didn’t, did it?_ The thought kept going round and round and it drove Lotor almost mad that there was no way to know for sure. Not if he did not survive.  
  
He had to know. He didn’t know how he would do it, but he was determined to do it anyways. First of all he needed to live.   
  
The sun began to rise and the stars in the sky faded, but Lotor had every intention of turning them as bright as never before.


	17. Sacrifices

Chiron heard Lotor when he left, but was not the least bit concerned. There was no certainty of what the emperor had seen in his dream, for the draught worked differently each time for each individual, but whatever it was, he was sure that Lotor needed some time to make up his mind. Undisturbed he gazed up until the light of the stars gave way to the sun.   
  
Sure enough Lotor returned after a while. “I am sorry to have left without notice. You were still asleep and I did not wish to disturb you.”  
  
“There is no need to apologize, emperor Lotor. Now and then we all need time to ourselves.” Something had changed in Lotor’s appearance, something that went deeper than the scars that had faded, if only a little, after the first draught Chiron had given him. The centaur didn’t need to put a name on it, it was enough to see it.  
  
Lotor himself felt more solid again, as if life had come back to him. He had a drive again, a purpose. He needed to see Allura, he needed to know if what he saw was real and true, or just an illusion. Instead of waiting for his fate to come to him, he wanted to take back the lead. “When can we perform the ritual you had described yesterday?”  
  
It pleased Chiron to hear the question and to see the spark in Lotor’s eyes along with it. Willing sacrifices were always the strongest and most powerful. “We may as well go and begin now, if that is your wish.”  
  
“I would welcome it indeed. It seems I have found a new purpose, but first things on Aiaia must be set right again. The sooner balance is re-established, the sooner I might be on my way.”  
  
So they returned to Omphalos. Chiron lit the flames again, for there were no windows and Lotor stood in front of the altar. Joining him Chiron explained, “You should feel no pain, but you will fight it. Every being clings to life and once it starts to slip away, we try to hold on to it with all our might. Yet you have to try to overcome this instinct, since it only slows down the process. Not all sacrifices gave up their life on this altar. The stronger the sacrifice, the stronger their power and not all of it will have to be taken to fulfill their purpose.”  
  
“Thank you.” Lotor looked at Chiron, open and honest. “Should I survive, then it will be thanks to you and I hope that I will be able to make it up to you one day.”  
  
“Do not thank me too early, emperor Lotor. But let us be hopeful.”  
  
With that Lotor lay down on the altar. Chiron knew about the hidden shackles, but didn’t bother to take them out. Silently he stood in front of the altar, focusing on his intention of cleansing the polluted parts of Aiaia.  
  
First the door closed, then the torches went out one by one, drowning all in darkness. Lotor had closed his eyes and felt the surface beneath him warming up, then cooling down to a freezing point. The tips of his fingers and toes went numb first and he started to shiver. His breath came out in white puffs and he felt like becoming heavier with each breath he took, as if he was sinking into the altar. He did not open his eyes, he tried to let it go. Like through a fog he could feel his life force leaving his body, his head became light, making it easier to let it all flow away.  
  
Little by little the ancient symbols on the altar lit up in a pale blue light. After the last was alight, Chiron started chanting words that were older than language itself, that only his kind new about. Now came the crucial part that would determine whether or not Lotor would survive. A blue circle on the altar started to shine, filling up slowly with light, right under the emperor’s head and from there on it followed in a straight line through the middle of the altar, flowing down onto the floor. If the labyrinth would be completed before all life force was spent, then Lotor would live.  
  
The centaur focused with all his heart on chanting and closed his eyes, so he wouldn’t be distracted. It was all he could do.  


* * *

  
  
Circe had kept watch by the fountain and felt the shift at once. It worked! Relief flooded her, but also worry about Lotor. Once she had robbed Charon of the fare Lotor was supposed to pay upon passing into the underworld, but she had brought him back from the brink of death and kept him alive. She wished to be able to do it once more, but she also knew that Charon was not forgiving to be cheated yet again. He needed to be paid, but only a human sacrifice would do, to deliver the fare.  
  
Filled with intent she returned to her house, mixing some of her rarest herbs while speaking words that were not supposed to be spoken by humans. Finally she took out her sharpest knife and cut her wrist, spilling her own blood over the herbs, mixing it with wine. Quickly she bandaged herself and returned to the fountain. There she added some of the Quintessence to the mix before she drank it all without lowering the cup until it was finished. She could barely reach for the small bag at her belt, when her eyes rolled back and she fell over.   


* * *

 

  
It took Chiron longer than expected to return to Circe. Lotor was heavier than he thought and due to his unconscious state it was difficult to keep him stable on his back. The emperor was alive, but barely so and thus far no draughts or incantations had helped to wake him up. Maybe Circe would know.  
  
It was no surprise to find her by the fountain, but that she too was unconscious was a surprise. As careful as possible Chiron set Lotor down on the grass and went to Circe, his forehead in deep wrinkles. He picked up the cup that lay right next to her hand and smelled it. Sighing he closed his eyes. “Why did you foolish woman have to do that?” But this he knew how to fix and of course Circe had prepared everything already. He also knew the pain it would cause her, just like Circe did before she had set out. Kneeling down next to her he spoke the words, while pouring the content of a vial into her mouth.  
  
A few moments later Circe began screaming and writhing in the grass. With his jaw clenched Chiron grabbed her and held her tightly, pressing her arms to her sides. Living beings were not supposed to travel to the underworld and come back again. Most went mad and killed themselves. Circe was far from being like most people, but for every ritual a price had to be paid. He could feel her temperature going up, it was like embracing a roaring fire. She kept trying to lash out, to get out of his grip, never ceasing to scream at the top of her lungs. Her temperature went higher and higher and Chiron broke out in a sweat, not releasing her. He had to use all his strength to keep his hold on Circe. The river was close by and although it was a risk, he decided to take her there and went into the stream with her, to cool off her burning skin. In the water her screaming ceased at last and turned into whining. Blisters had come up all over her body, her hair smelled scorched and she started shaking.  
  
He left Lotor where he was and took Circe to her house. Chiron knew her supplies were always well stocked and mixed an ointment for her skin to ease the pain. As gently as possible he laid her down on a pile of blankets in her kitchen and set to work. When the ointment was ready he took off all her clothes, because her entire body was marred. He finished by covering her only with a light cotton sheet and went to retrieve Lotor.


	18. Setting Course

The Castle of Lions had been rebuilt successfully and was fully functional, the Paladin were able to form Voltron and recharge easily again and yet Allura was far from feeling any accomplishment. The Galra were still causing havoc, although that was hardly anything new. But with Lotor it all had been so different and she was longing for those peaceful times. With things as they were now there was no peace possible. At this point all Voltron would be able to do was to destroy the Galra entirely. But what kind of peace-bringer would that make them?  
  
In search for wiser opinions Allura had decided to return to the Altean colony. She hoped that the council could give her some advice.  
  
On the colony she was welcomed warmly. Allura had changed into her formal Altean dress, letting loose her hair. She hadn’t announced her arrival, so the council was unprepared, but in fact Allura was glad to be able to walk around and explore the colony once more. Some women showed her to a field with juniberry flowers in full bloom. Their sight reminded her so much of home and she sank down into the grass and felt suddenly a strong fatigue with a slight dizziness. She told herself that she had exerted herself probably too much recently and decided to go back and take a rest. She was supposed to meet with the council on the next day, so there was no need to stress herself.  
  
After a long, relaxing bath she ate well and went to sleep. The next morning she woke up, feeling sick and at the sight of breakfast laid out for her she had to excuse herself and went to throw up discreetly in the restroom. Afterwards she sat down and it dawned upon her that she might be with child. Her eyes went wide, one hand she put on her abdomen, with the other she covered her mouth, thinking about her cycle. All of a sudden Allura felt incredibly giddy. _No way! This can’t be!_ She went straight back to her chamber to calm down herself before appearing in front of others. She looked at herself in a mirror, standing sideways, imagining her belly swollen with Lotor’s baby and she just couldn’t hold back tears of happiness.  
  
Suddenly she had no more questions, only answers. Taking a deep breath, she wiped her face and went to see the council.  
  
They had all gathered in the forum. “Princess Allura, we are very sorry to have kept you waiting!” The elder from before greeted her and Allura smiled at him.  
  
“Do not worry! I came uninvited and unannounced and it was good to be able to take rest before seeing you. When I first arrived I was in need of advice, but now I come to you with a request and hope you will accept it.”  
  
The elder raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Well, we will gladly hear it and shall then decide how to proceed. Please.” With a gesture of his hand he invited Allura to keep going.  
  
She turned to speak to the whole forum and her voice carried through all the ranks. “I want you all to know that it is my greatest wish to bring peace to the universe, just like my father did, our beloved king Alfor.” Thinking of her late father made Allura even more emotional and everyone was hanging at her lips. “The Castle of Lions has been successfully rebuilt and the Paladin are ready to fight the Galra and bring peace. For a short time, under the rule of Lotor as emperor that goal was as close as never before. We had formed an alliance and were able to successfully harvest a massive amount of Quintessence from the rift.” Before her memories could overcome her, Allura kept talking. “Right after that I had heard about what Lotor, supposedly, did to you on the second colony and I made a terrible mistake.” Never in all her life had Allura spoken with such urgency, pleading with all the Alteans in the forum. “I violated our alliance and opened fire against Lotor myself.” Shock and disbelief kept everyone quiet. “All I can say in my defense is that I acted irrationally upon hearing that Lotor had killed Alteans. I couldn’t bear the thought of it, and was blinded by emotions. I… I am so terribly sorry! I have failed as a leader and ruler.” Tears were running down her cheeks after all. The council elder raised himself to speak, but Allura went on. “Lotor got lost in the rift during our fight, but through a mere coincidence we found out where he is. I want to bring him back and restore him to the Galra throne. I want him to face a fair trial and speak in front of you, to explain himself. I want to reestablish our alliance, because without Lotor there will never be peace with the Galra. Not with them and not among them.” She took a deep breath to keep going. “So here is my request: With Lotor gone, your colony is in grave danger to be exposed to the Galra. Should they find you, it could mean the ultimate end of Alteans. To prevent that from happening I would like to make your colony the new base for the Castle of Lions and have the Paladin stationed here along with it, until I have successfully returned with Lotor. That way you would be safe and I would welcome it very much if you and the Paladin could work together to exchange your cultures and learn from each other.” Her plea had reached every single heart and in unison the Alteans rose and started to cheer for her. Allura was deeply moved by their show of unity and support. She looked around, seeing hope and optimism. So many Alteans gathered in one place, made to resemble Altea as much as possible and all thanks to Lotor. Her heart swelled and she was more determined than ever to find him and bring him back. She held back the urge to cover her belly with her hand, but she thought of the unborn child. Standing there she couldn’t be entirely sure that she was pregnant, but something deep inside told her that she was. So she had to bring Lotor back, not only for the sake of peace and justice, but also for the sake of their child – and herself.

* * *

  
  
Allura lost no time afterwards and took charge. She informed the Paladin of what was to do and wouldn’t have any of their doubts or criticism. Lotor had to return, she knew where he was and would get him back. The Paladin were to use the meantime to protect the colony, train and engage in cultural exchange with the Alteans. Coran was quite moved to see his princess so grown up.  
  
The Castle of Lions took off on the same day for its new base as Allura, although her course was set on an outer planet of the Aiaia system.


	19. Partings

Pain and madness. Swimming in an ocean of despair. That’s what Circe remembered before opening her eyes. Sunlight shone in through the windows of her kitchen. Sitting up she saw that she had laid on a pallet, covered only with a light blanket and realized now that Lotor was just a few feet away on another pallet. He looked pale, his formerly vivid skin tone seemed greyish and she couldn’t make out his breathing. Alarmed she got up, clutched the sheet around her, ignored the biting pain of her skin and went to have a closer look at Lotor.  
  
It turned out that he was breathing, albeit terribly weak. _But he is alive!_ Circe sank down on her knees, overcome with relief and gratefulness. Charon had taken her coins after all and her own pain and suffering hadn’t been in vain.  
  
Upon the sound of hooves Circe raised her head and saw Chiron entering her kitchen. Smiling faintly she told him, “My dear friend, never have I been happier to see you. You have my eternal thankfulness and I will never be able to repay the favor you bestowed upon me.”  
  
Chiron gave a rare smile in return. “You know that there are no favors between us. Both of you are alive, that is all that matters.” His gaze shifted and he creased his forehead. “But nothing I have tried was able to waken the emperor.”  
  
“I see.” Circe stood up, not feeling ashamed about her lack of decent clothing. “It is a miracle that he survived. He will need time and nourishment to restore his life force to a level that will allow him to truly live again. Until then we need to be patient.” With a sigh she sat back down on her pallet. “How long have I been gone?”  
  
“Two days since I had found you.”  
  
Circe regained her playful tone. “That is not so bad, especially considering my age. Charon has probably no desire to see me anytime soon again.”  
  
Chiron huffed and turned his eyes upward. “I can imagine.”  
  
“Well, if you will excuse me now, I think getting dressed might be a good start to rejoin the living society.” So she went down the hall, with her head held high and a spark in her eyes. 

* * *

  
Over the next few days Chiron stayed with Circe. She was still in a weakened state, covered in blisters, her hair a singed mess. “I’ve been thinking about getting a new haircut for quite a while and now is a time as good as any to finally make some cuts.” Chiron had always wondered at her ability to stay positive. Whether or not she did it to cover up what she truly thought was one of the things he was never able to find out. But he let her be and didn’t question it. Some things they never spoke of and both were glad about their unspoken agreements.  
  
They took turns giving Lotor draughts that would hopefully help to replenish the life force he had lost. His state didn’t get worse, but so far there were also no signs of improvement.  
  
One night Chiron stood outside and looked into the stars.   
  
Circe joined him. “What do you see?”  
  
“It is time for me to return to the others.” His eyes didn’t leave the firmament.  
  
“I am surprised that you lingered for so long. You must have become quite fond of Lotor.”  
  
At that he turned his head to look down at her. “He is a remarkable being and I would welcome his company in the future.”  
  
Circe looked up, astonished she said, “Coming from you that is high praise.” Even before the Galra attack the centaurs had preferred to stay among themselves, although they had been at peace with other creatures and the people of Aiaia.  
  
“I shall take my leave now. Give my regards to the emperor when he awakes.”  
  
She smiled at him. “I will. May the stars keep lighting your way.”  
  
“For all days, until I shall return to them.” Quiet and peacefully Chiron trotted into the dark woods.  


* * *

  
  
Elpis also had lands of his own and decided that it was long overdue to look after them. The recent irregularities were also a good reason, to make sure that everything was in order. He preferred staying at the academy, but some responsibilities had to be taken care of elsewhere. This time he was even looking forward to it.  
  
His space ship took him directly to the main estate, which was a two days travel away from the capital. He knew that Circe’s space dagger was able to make it in less than half the time, but he liked to travel more comfortably. Besides he was never happier about the location of his lands, far out of sight from the academy.  
  
After landing he perused the bath for a long time, then refreshed himself with local delicacies before eventually inquiring to one of his servants, “How is the boy?”  
  
The addressed servant bowed deeply, “The young master is in good health and studies diligently.”  
  
Elpis was glad to hear it, although he realized that there were some things left unspoken and he had an idea what those might be. “Bring him to me.”  
  
Wordlessly the servant left the room and returned a little after. “The young master, as you requested, Master Elpis.” He said with another deep bow.  
  
“Thank you, that will be all for now.” The servant left them alone and Elpis studied the young man in front of him. The boy was gone, probably the day he had set foot in the academy for the first time. But for the servants he was only “the boy” or “the young master”. The less anyone knew, the better. Now they stood, face to face and Elpis gestured to the table filled with food and drink.  
  
“Let’s sit. I hear your studies are making progress and trust that you have been treated well.” He sat down and filled one goblet with wine and one with water, the latter he placed in front of his guest.  
  
Pat did not let his guard down. Too much had happened and he still didn’t trust Elpis fully. After Lotor had been poisoned and taken away, he had been kept at the academy, first under the watchful eyes of Atalanta and then he had been given to Elpis, who had told him that he needed to get Pat out of the academy and back to Circe, because if he stayed, he might end up being used as a pawn against Circe. So he had come up with the story of Pat trying to escape with the space dagger, while in fact one of his most loyal servants had piloted the ship. Pat would probably not have made it beyond the capital at that time.  
  
While the attention was on capturing the space dagger, Pat had been sent to Elpis lands, where a teacher had been awaiting his arrival. Elpis believed in education first and foremost and would never let it be said that he neglected in spreading it among the young and rising stars of the academy. Just that Pat had never joined their firmament there and now the young star was about to continue his journey elsewhere.  
  
“The lessons are interesting, but the training sessions are more to my liking.”   
  
_Even his way of speaking has matured._ Elpis marveled how much Pat had learnt in so short a time and felt a deep regret that he wouldn’t have the opportunity to see this diamond in the rough being polished under the guidance of him and the other seniors at the capital.  
  
“That is no surprise coming from a young man such as you. I am sure you will make a fine swordsman one day.”  
  
“I hope so.”  
  
Elpis understood why Pat was rather reserved and thought it spoke for his cleverness. “I have a present for you. To reward your efforts and I think you will quite like it.” Pat sat motionless and Elpis regarded him with a fond smile. “At first I wasn’t sure if it might be too early, but I think the time might be just right. Follow me.” So he stood up and Pat did the same. Together they went up to the landing platform for the space ships.  
  
In front of a small, platinum colored ship Elpis stopped. “It is not the ship in which you had arrived at the academy, but it comes close. Let’s take a seat!” Gesturing to the ship, Elpis went ahead and boarded the ship, Pat close behind him. “Have you been instructed in piloting a space ship such as this?”  
  
The ships interior resembled the space dagger to an extent that made Pat almost feel as if he was sitting behind Lotor again. With a knot in his throat he said, “Only a little, although I think I could manage the basics as long as there are no troubles.”  
  
“Very good… very good indeed.” Elpis started the engine and entered coordinates into the autopilot system. With a sigh he leaned back and looked straight ahead.  
  
“Pat.”  
  
He looked up in surprise at being so casually addressed. “Yes?”  
  
“Your stars’ journey isn’t fixed yet. All I know is that it is not supposed to rise to its full glory within the academy. At least not now.” Elpis fell silent for a moment, pondering. “Give your aunt my best regards. May the stars keep lighting both her and your way.”  
  
“For all days, until we shall return to them.” Pat didn’t know where the words came from, but they were there and Elpis smiled, getting out of the ship.  
  
Once Elpis was at a safe distance, Pat activated the ships take-off and rose up into the darkening night sky. In theory he knew that he was finally returning home, but for him an eternity had passed since he left and he couldn’t really grasp seeing Circe again. He didn’t know anything about what had happened to Lotor, in fact he didn’t really understand what had been going on at all. In his confusion all he could do was function and keep going somehow. He was grateful for the ship being on autopilot and watched the surface of Aiaia passing by until he went out into space and fell asleep.


	20. Reunion

Pat awoke from the sunlight spilling through the leaves of the trees surrounding his space ship and felt totally disoriented, wondering where he was. He sat up straight and had trouble to process what he saw at first. It was the platform from which he had taken off with Lotor in the space dagger. He opened the ship, jumped to the ground and started running, still dazed. He ran like never before in his whole life, through the fields and trees, heading towards home.  
  
When the house came into view he stumbled to a halt, breathing heavily. _Home! Home at last!_ The door opened and Circe stepped out. Still gasping for air he broke out into another run, tears streaming down his face. He ran straight into Circe’s wide open arms, not slowing down and both tumbled to the ground right in front of the house. Circe laughed, spilling tears of happiness and pressed her cheek against Pat’s head, who started to sob uncontrollably, releasing all the tension and pressure of the past weeks. He was like a dam that finally broke and Circe knew that it was best to let it take its course and held him tightly.  
  
When the flood started to recede, they sat up and she handed Pat a cloth to wipe his face and clean his nose. Tired and with hanging shoulders Pat leaned his head against his aunt’s shoulder and Circe put her arm around him. “Welcome back home.”  
  
Pat couldn’t say anything, still too overwhelmed. He closed his eyes and let all the familiar sounds sink in. Little by little he calmed down and relaxed until he found his voice again. “Aunt Circe, where is Lotor?”  
  
It tugged at Circe’s heartstrings that Lotor was the first Pat asked about. She looked down at her nephew and for the first time he looked properly at her.  
  
“Aunt Circe! What happened? What is with your skin? And your hair?” The shock was visible in his face and Circe knew that she was a rather unpleasant sight to behold still.  
  
“Many things have happened while you were gone. Finding out a few new limitations to my healing powers was one of them.” She smiled at Pat and put a hand on his cheek. “But don’t worry! I will heal and tell you everything in due time. Lotor is here, but he is not entirely with us yet. He too went on a journey and one never returns back home quite the same person as one left.”  
  
Pat was worried a lot at that. Circe took him inside and showed him Lotor, who remained on a pallet in the kitchen.  
  
Lotor’s skin was still greyish, his breathing weak and his pulse barely there. Pat stood frozen next to him, looking with wide eyes and disbelief down at his friend, his mentor and idol. Strangled he asked, “What happened to him?”  
  
Circe sighed deeply, her face became weary and she wondered how she could explain it best and decided to keep it simple. “Aiaia was in great danger, because the balance of our Quintessence got disturbed. In fact Lotor’s arrival had caused it and so he was the key to restore our equilibrium. The price he had to pay might have been death and it is a miracle that he survived the ritual he undertook. But a price always has to be paid and so he still has not recovered yet. But it has also been just a few days. We need to be patient.”  
  
But Pat was done being patient. In a sudden rage he threw himself on Lotor, grabbed his tunic and tried to shake him. “Wake up! Lotor, you hear me! You have to wake up!” Circe couldn’t move, only stare at the scene in front of her. Never had she seen Pat in such outrage.  
  
Shaking did nothing so he started pounding Lotor’s chest with his fists, “Wake up! Lotor! Wake up!” But there was no reaction and suddenly Pat stopped and burst out into tears. Leaning over Lotor he grabbed his tunic again, rolling his hands into tight fists. “Lotor, please! Please, wake up Lotor!” Pat’s tears fell down on his own hands, thick drops spilled down and soaked Lotor’s tunic.  
  
Heartbroken Circe watched, as Pat’s head sank on Lotor’s breast and he kept pleading. “Please, Lotor, please come back to us!” The boy’s shoulders shook and his tears wouldn’t stop. Distressed Circe stood up, when she saw that slowly Lotor’s skin tone began to change and turn more lively again. The grey gave way to soft lavender and she almost couldn’t believe it, when Lotor opened his eyes.  
  
“Pat.” His voice was raspy and quiet and it cost Lotor all his strength to lift his arm so he could put his hand on Pat’s head. “Pat.”  
  
He looked up, silenced and astonished. “Lotor?”  
  
Lotor raised the edges of his mouth into a strained smile. “I missed you, my friend.”  
  
“Lotor!” crying out the name once more Pat embraced Lotor now and hugged him with all his might. “I’m so glad! I thought I would never see you again!”  
  
Circe’s knees gave out and overcome with emotion she sank back down on her chair with tears in her eyes. Their stars had been lost and found again. Now it was time to make them shine like never before.

* * *

  
  
Day by day Lotor regained more of his strength and was soon back to his routine together with Pat. He had also developed a greater interest in the healing properties of Circe’s plants and found tending to her gardens both relaxing and replenishing.  
  
It was a hot day and Lotor had rolled up the sleeves of his tunic up to his shoulders and bound his hair back into a bun. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he was weeding out a rather large bush in the vegetable garden. Having not recovered fully it took him more effort and the roots of that particular bush seemed to run rather deep, for it didn’t come out from the soil. He took a deep breath and relaxed for a moment, lifted his head and couldn’t believe his eyes.  
  
Allura stood a small distance away, smiling at him. Slowly he stood up, fearing it to be an illusion, but even before he had raised himself entirely, Allura threw herself at him, closing her arms tightly around his neck, while Lotor caught her around her waist and buried his face in her neck, before they both melted into a deep kiss.  
  
Breathless Allura was the first to speak. “I had to come back to you.” Lotor had released her a little, pressing his forehead against hers with closed eyes. The images from his dream were always on his mind, they were what he saw last before falling asleep, hoping to dream that dream one more time, and the first thing he thought of every morning when he woke up.  
  
He couldn’t help but looking down at her stomach. She was wearing her space uniform and showed no signs of being pregnant and he feared that it had all been just a dream after all.  
  
Allura followed his gaze and her eyes widened. “Lotor.” Their eyes met and Allura put a hand on her abdomen. “Lotor… Do you know?”  
  
Covering her hand with his, Lotor replied with a quiet and shaken voice, looking at their hands “Is it true?” He looked up to search for the truth in her face. “Allura… Are you carrying our child?”  
  
Shining as bright as never before she said, “I think so. I hope so!” A laugh bubbled up from her. “All the signs are there, but I haven’t told anyone yet and I’m not entirely sure. But…” She leaned into Lotor, wanted to be as close to him as possible and listened deep into herself, thinking that she could already hear the beating of another heart.  
  
Lotor closed his arms around her again, but not too tightly, for he feared to hurt the unborn child. He would do all that was in his power to protect both Allura and the baby. He would not let them go again.  
  
Gently he led Allura to the house, where Circe was not surprised to see the princess again. The way Lotor held his arm around Allura and carefully guided her to a seat was telling enough for Circe, and she really didn’t need to put up any effort in picking up the certain stirrings in her Quintessence. Brightly she announced, “Welcome back, princess. I am happy to see you again and hope your travel was not too tiresome.” Her smile turned knowing. “If I may presume, I have several elixirs that can help ease dizziness and morning nausea, although I need to admit that I’m not sure how effective they would be for Alteans, but rest assured that they would cause no harm.”  
  
Allura’s cheeks turned a deep red. “Thank you. I am fine for now. Maybe tomorrow morning I will take you upon your kind offer.” The last bit she added with a shy smile and Circe heart melted. At the same time she was aware that there must be more to the princess’ return, but for now she wanted all of them to have a little peace.  
  
Just in that moment Pat stormed into the kitchen, out of breath and with wide eyes he yelled out, “A Pegasus! I have seen a Pegasus, flying right above our stables! He was huge and black and beautiful!” Part of the boy that had left a while ago was still in him and Circe was glad to see it. In his excitement he didn’t register Allura at first, but catching his breath he realized that Lotor was down on one knee next to a strange woman sitting by the fireplace, holding her hands. Recalling his manners, he stood up straight and squared his shoulders. “I’m sorry.” He addressed Allura. “I try not to make it a habit to dash into the house like this, in fact aunt Circe keeps scolding me for it. A lot.” Pat looked over to her and Circe raised only a silent eyebrow. To Allura he went on, “My name is Patkardian, but everyone calls me Pat. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. May the stars light your way wherever you go.” He bowed deeply and Lotor was impressed at Pat’s display of etiquette.  
  
Allura was absolutely enchanted. So this was Pat. Sitting up more straight, she replied to him, “Pleased to meet you, too! I am princess Allura and I can’t wait to get to know you.”  
  
“Wonderful!” Circe clasped her hands and made a declaration. “For now, let’s rejoice and enjoy our time together. Soon enough we will be able to discuss politics.” It was as if her words had covered all with a soothing balm and everyone relaxed visibly.  
  
Circe started to put together everything for a picnic, ordering Pat to get a big blanket and basket, Lotor cut thin slices from the smoked ham and Allura helped Circe to wrap it all up, no matter how much Lotor tried to insist that she should just sit down and relax. Circe was highly entertained, while Pat couldn’t make any sense of it and looked confused from Allura to Lotor and back again.  
  
In the end they all went out, Circe and Pat ahead, while Lotor carried the overflowing basket in one hand and his other arm slung around Allura’s waist. She had changed into a long, flowing white tunic from Circe. It was sleeveless and fell in soft waves down from the clasps on her shoulders. She had chosen to tie a thin purple ribbon around her waist and Lotor had almost dropped the basket when she came out with Circe. She was a vision and Lotor wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and drown in her kisses and…  
  
Circe smirked at the deep lavender shade Lotor’s cheeks turned upon seeing Allura in one of her old dresses. It was actually too short for the princess, but it allowed her to walk freely, the fabric swinging lightly around her calves.  
  
Pat eyed Lotor, a mix of suspicion and confusion on his face. But turning to Allura he had to admit that she was the prettiest woman he had seen so far.  
  
Once they had settled down in the shade of the trees and spread out the food, Lotor immediately started piling up the choicest morsels for Allura on plate after plate and urged her to eat what he declared to be “healthy amounts”.  
  
Circe had trouble biting back her laughter and Pat looked disbelieving at all the plates Lotor had arranged around Allura. _No way all that food will fit inside her!_  
  
“Lotor!” Allura spoke to him sternly. “As much as I appreciate your concern, but I really don’t think _that_ is necessary.” She eyed the stacks of food surrounding her. “Besides, we aren’t entirely sure yet. I might not even be with child!” Her tone became pleading.  
  
Circe chimed in. “It might be that you haven’t taken any tests yet, princess, but let me tell you that I have enough experience to assure you, that you most definitely are pregnant.”  
  
“How can you be so sure?” Allura was honestly curious.  
  
Inclining her head Circe wondered whether or not to let them know. _But why not?_ “I am able to feel the flow and stirrings of Quintessence within any living organism.”  
  
Lotor and Allura beheld Circe in a new light. So Circe was able to know whatever was going on within them, only their thoughts were their own.  
  
“Please do not worry.” She went on. “I do not misuse my powers. And in your case, princess, your Quintessence was practically yelling it out, announcing your circumstances with a flourish of trumpets that was hard to miss.”  
  
Pat followed the conversation quietly. He knew that a baby was something to be happy about, but he wondered if it would mean that Lotor was leaving together with Allura. He couldn’t hold it in ans asked Lotor, “Will you leave us now?”  
  
Lotor was taken aback at the look on Pat’s face. Until now he had pushed the future aside, but he knew that he would have to face it eventually. Thinking about all the things that might be waiting for him to be taken care of, apart from Allura, made his spirits sink into a dark and bottomless pit. “To be honest Pat, I haven’t thought about the next steps yet.” He turned to Allura and back to his friend. “Allura just arrived and there was no time to talk about anything. Aiaia might have regained its balance, but I’m sure there is an even bigger mess still waiting for me out there.”  
  
Lotor’s shoulders sank and his features only undermined how he felt. Trying to cheer him up, Allura scooted closer and took his hand in hers to squeeze it and received a gratifying smile in return. To Pat she said, “I have no intention of taking Lotor away from you. But it is true that he is needed right now. Not because of me or the baby, but for the sake of the peace in the universe. Lotor is the rightful emperor of the Galra. Since he vanished they broke out into civil war and have started to conquer the universe more aggressively than ever before.”  
  
At those news Lotor turned an alarmed gaze at Allura. She went on, “He needs to return, so that he can reunite the Galra and form once again an alliance with Voltron.” Her eyes got hold of Lotor’s. “A true alliance this time, based on trust, justice and honesty. An alliance that will last and overcome all obstacles that might show up along the way.”  
  
Lotor took her hand and pressed a long kiss on her palm. At last he said, “Circe, Pat.”  
  
Pat knew that he wouldn’t like what was to come, but he braced himself. He wasn’t a little boy anymore. He wanted to become as strong as Lotor one day and a part of him understood that this was about something much bigger than childish dreams.  
  
Lotor went on, “Words can’t express how deeply thankful I am to both of you. You gave me a home, you made me a part of your family. You saved me! I owe each of you an entire life.” He had to pause for a moment. “I hope to return to you and be with you again. But now there are urgent matters that I need to take care of. I can not neglect my responsibilities any longer. I must go, but I shall be back.”  
  
Trying hard not to let his tears fall, Pat said with a quiver in his voice, “May the stars keep lighting your way.”  
  
It was probably the magic of Aiaia which made Lotor respond. “For all days, until I shall return to them.”


	21. Epilogue

Allura and Lotor went to the colony and Lotor spoke in front of the council, telling them about the true purpose of the second colony. Silenced filled the forum. In the end Lotor was not condemned for his actions, but he had to swear to try and find a way to restore the life forces of those who remained on the second colony.  
  
The Paladin accepted that they had to work with Lotor once more and set out to return him to the Galra throne. Since they had a new Castle of Lions, they were able to face Sendak. This time Lotor finished him off for good. Their fight had been fierce and Lotor felt clearly that he had missed out on his daily exercises while being on Aiaia, but Sendak’s brute force was no match for Lotor’s speed and precision.  
  
Lotor took back the throne, but just like before the Galra empire was not entirely united. Since they had also lost Sincline and the rift was gone they were lacking the much needed source of unlimited amounts of Quintessence. But Lotor was as convincing and charismatic as ever. Besides he would always be known as the emperor who had ‘Zarkon’s blood both in his veins and on his blade’.  
  
After reclaiming the throne he and Allura got married and for everyone who saw them it was obvious that this was far more than a political match. Although Allura was glad to share her pregnancy now openly, Lotor was driving her crazier than ever and more than once their entire fleet could hear her yelling “I am pregnant, not disabled!”  
  
Dayak was absolutely delighted and couldn’t wait for the child to be born. _Finally a new ward!_  
  
Coran felt the same and was determined not to let Dayak undermine _his_ positive influence on the unborn baby.  
  
Haggar remained untraceable, which gave Lotor constant headaches, because there was no telling what she was plotting in the dark. All he could do was to keep searching for her, so he did, but it was not his main concern.  
  
To his generals he had sent out a message, which plainly stated some coordinates at one of the outer edges of the Galra empire. Axca’s instincts told her to investigate, while Ezor seemed more concerned, but she was able to convince Zethrid, so Ezor went along. In a barren Galra settlement they found Narti with Cova and returned united they returned to Lotor’s side.  
  
The fights never died down or became less or easier. There would never be peace in the entire universe, but that didn’t keep them from trying to pursue it anyways. They were doing their best and had established a strong foundation.  
  
Lotor and Allura decided that they could afford to leave the reigns to their advisors and Voltron for a while. The child was soon to be born and Allura had surprised Lotor with requesting a certain place where she wanted that to happen. He was happy to fulfill her wish, and make good on a promise he had given, at the same time.  
  
The next day they left and headed to a planet on the outer system of Aiaia.  
  
Circe had sent Pat to study and train with Chiron. She wanted to set an example for the entirety of Aiaia and show that it was long overdue to overcome the differences between people and creatures and live in harmony once more.  
  
When Lotor and Allura arrived and expressed their wish to give birth to their child on Aiaia, Circe was honored and pleased. She sent for Pat and Chiron right away and two days later they arrived.  
  
Lotor couldn’t believe how much Pat had grown in such a short time and was impressed with his improved skill with the sword. He learned a few new things from Chiron himself and enjoyed sparring with the centaur, who turned out to be a worthy opponent.  
  
After a rather tiresome match one morning he lay down to rest a little and closed his eyes. The next time he opened them the sun was high up in the sky. He hadn’t intended to sleep well into the day. A careless laughter echoed through the open window from outside and he thought hearing Pat talking to someone. Determined he swung his legs out of bed, dressed himself and went down to the kitchen, where he found Circe sure enough over her herbs at the table.  
  
She smiled fondly at him. “My my, one would think that you are the one carrying a heavy burden all day long. We were wondering when you’d finally wake up. Today might finally be the day!”  
  
Before Lotor could reply to that, the door flung open and Pat came storming in, his face pale white. “Aunt Circe!” He seemed in a panic and Lotor felt as if all his life force was drained at once. “Aunt Circe! It’s Allura, I think she’s–“ Lotor didn’t wait for Pat to finish his sentence, but dashed out immediately, finding Allura lying in the grass, grasping her voluminous belly with a contorted face. Time froze for a few heartbeats while Lotor tried to understand what was going on. He sank down on his knees next to her, gently putting on hand on her back and the other over her hand on her belly. “Allura?” It was all he could say.  
  
She looked at him and her expression eased. Smiling she said, “I think our child has finally decided that it’s time to face the universe.”  
  
It was her first birth and labor took long. First came a boy and a few minutes later a girl. Both screaming healthily with all their might. Circe placed them carefully in Lotor’s arms, who looked down in wonder, scared that he might accidentally hurt them. _They are so small!_ He could easily hold one child in one hand. He stepped to Allura, who smiled up to him, exhausted and covered in sweat, but happy to be handed her children from Lotor. After putting the babies in Allura’s arms he embraced his new family with his arms, holding his empress from behind. She leaned against him happily and Circe left to give them a moment of privacy.  
  
Lotor pressed a kiss against Allura’s temple. “Thank you.” His voice was rough and thick.  
  
Tired but relieved Allura raised her head to meet his eyes. “No, thank you. All the best things in my life would’ve never happened without you. I love you.”  
  
“And I love you.” He gave her a deep kiss. To his children he said, “I promise you that I will love you with all my heart. I will show you the universe and make you see all its wonders and hope that one day you will help your mother and I to make it a better place.”  
  
Chiron heard from Circe that Allura gave birth to healthy twins and smiled to himself. He had never taken such delight in being only partly right with his vision, because instead of one, there were now two more stars to brighten the night sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear ladyspider31,
> 
> this is not how you saw it ending in your head canon and I'm sorry about that, but I just couldn't figure out a reasonable way for Lotor and Allura to leave behind their responsibilities and live a normal live. They are just not made for that and I hope you are okay with my alternate ending.
> 
> ***
> 
> Goodness, this fic was an amazing journey for me! The first time I finished a fanfic and highly likely the last one. I have learnt a lot in the process of writing it and am very well aware that the whole story, the writing and just everything leaves a lot to be desired. But then I'm not a professional author, and I hope everyone who read it found something they enjoyed.
> 
> I want to thank all the readers who were kind enough to leave a kudo or even a comment! As I'm writing this the counter is on 11 comments (some of them just my answers though), 44 kudos and 3 bookmarks! Seriously, for me, this is totally amazing! With every new reaction to my fic I felt more motivated to continue writing it.
> 
> But now I am incredibly relieved that I was able to finally finish it, especially with season 7 coming out soon!
> 
> May your stars shine brightly ⋆


End file.
